COTE : There is Something Wrong With Hikigaya-Chapter 147: The So-Called Right Result

Ishizaki was just about to shout that Hirata was "talking nonsense and making excuses" when Hikigaya suddenly cut in first.

"Hah... Hirata, your explanation sounds reasonable at first, but don't you think it's just an excuse? You've explained Horikita's reasons for installing the cameras, but the biggest problem remains—why did she take it upon herself instead of letting the school handle it?"

"Exactly! Setting up surveillance cameras isn't something Class D should be doing at all!"

Ishizaki didn't understand why Hikigaya was suddenly turning the argument against his own class, but he wasn't about to waste the opportunity to kick them while they were down.

Hirata showed a troubled expression.

"Because Class D's points are too low, we've been looking for ways to increase them. Horikita's actions were indeed a bit rushed in this regard, and we fully acknowledge our mistake."

"That's a weak excuse. It doesn't hold up at all."

Hikigaya countered.

"But the fact remains that the special teaching building does have serious safety risks. In particular, the chemicals stored in the science lab could be stolen and used for something dangerous. There have even been cases of poisoning incidents reported in the news. That's why Horikita submitted an application to install surveillance cameras—out of concern for these risks.

And as everyone knows, if we waited for the school to process and approve the request, it could take a long time. There was a chance something could happen in the meantime. When Horikita received confirmation that the school had approved it, she acted based on that information. She also hoped this would earn Class D some additional points."

Hirata had clearly thought this through, explaining everything in a calm and structured way.

"I really didn't expect such a misunderstanding to happen. I tried to do something good, but it turned out badly. I sincerely apologize for that. I hope the student council president can be understanding and take into account that Horikita had good intentions."

Horikita stared blankly at Hirata. She knew very well that what Hirata said wasn't the truth, but she also understood that he was trying to help her.

What really shocked her, though, was how prepared Hirata seemed to be. It was as if he had planned everything in advance.

Thinking of this, Horikita instinctively looked at Hikigaya.

"President, I don't agree with that."

Hikigaya, seemingly intent on going against Hirata, shook his head and said, "Even if the intention was good, the fact remains that the action itself was against the rules. The idea that 'I did this for a good reason, so it must be right' is flawed. When judging an action, the motivation behind it is considered, but the consequences matter even more. What Horikita did is clearly a violation—there's no argument about that."

"Fortunately, there haven't been any serious consequences, and this whole situation turned out to be a misunderstanding."

Hirata immediately countered.

Hikigaya was a student from Class D, yet instead of supporting his own class, he had been criticizing them from the start. At first, no one could figure out what he was trying to do. But now, they were beginning to understand—Hikigaya seemed to be targeting Hirata on purpose. However, in reality, he was drawing attention to the more serious issues while cleverly shifting the discussion. He was turning a major problem into something much smaller.

Originally, the issue was that Horikita had secretly installed cameras in a public area. But now, it was framed as Horikita acting out of concern for student safety and trying to earn class points too aggressively.

A serious rule violation suddenly didn't seem so serious anymore. There were now many ways to argue and negotiate—Horikita's true intentions, misunderstandings in communication, and whether student council approval had been given. All these factors made the situation much more flexible.

A dead-end was suddenly given a way out.

At the very least, Horikita's punishment would be greatly reduced. In fact, based on how things were going, it might just end up being a minor issue. Nobody had expected things to take this turn.

But the key factor was the application document. Without it, everything Hirata just said would be nothing more than his own claims, with no real proof.

More importantly, the application had already passed the initial review. It still needed final approval from the student council president, but that was only a matter of time. There were different ways to interpret it—some might say it didn't follow proper procedure, while others might argue that each case should be considered individually. In the end, it all depended on Horikita Manabu's decision.

Would he handle it strictly or let it slide? Both options had solid reasoning behind them.

Ichinose, Horikita, and the others suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.

Just then, Komiya noticed someone's gaze and immediately recalled a certain person's warning earlier that afternoon. He quickly whispered something to Ishizaki. Ishizaki's eyes widened in realization, and he suddenly pointed at Horikita and shouted, "I question the true reason Class D installed those cameras!"

Ishizaki then accused Class D of setting up fake cameras to trick them into dropping their accusations against Sudou. He insisted it had nothing to do with student safety and was just an excuse.

"That's right! Even Ichinose from Class B admitted she was a victim. That means she was misled by Class D into believing the cameras were real. This completely contradicts what Hirata just said!"

To everyone's surprise, Hikigaya didn't just support Ishizaki's argument—he also questioned what Hirata had claimed earlier.

Ichinose, Horikita, and the others had no way to refute this. If they denied it, it would mean Ichinose had been lying. But if they admitted it, that would mean Hirata and Class D had been lying instead.

Either way, it was a trap.

"Hikigaya?!"

Horikita, Ichinose, and the others were all confused by his actions. Even Kushida frowned slightly.

For some reason, she suddenly felt uneasy.

Something about Hikigaya today was completely different.

Or rather... he felt so unfamiliar that it was terrifying. It was like that night in his room when she realized he had seen through her completely. That same fear of the unknown.

Meanwhile, Haruno and Horikita Manabu seemed to have realized something. Their eyes instinctively shifted past Horikita...

To the person who had remained silent and expressionless this whole time.

Ayanokouji.

"Why did Class D install those cameras? One possibility is what Hirata said. The second is what Ishizaki claimed—that it was for personal gain."

Hikigaya suddenly paused. His cold gaze locked onto Ayanokouji, the one person who had stayed completely detached from everything, almost forgotten in the chaos.

"But I believe there's a third possibility. Horikita might have genuinely been concerned about student safety when she installed those cameras... but at the same time, someone else used this situation for their own benefit. They tricked Ichinose from Class B. They manipulated Horikita's kindness and twisted her good intentions. And even now, Horikita is still taking all the blame to protect this person."

"Isn't that right, Ayanokouji?"

Hikigaya's sharp gaze bore into Ayanokouji, his cold eyes filled with intensity.

Everyone else widened their eyes in shock.

All attention was now on Ayanokouji.

But Ayanokouji ignored their stares, his face still unreadable as he calmly looked at Hikigaya.

"What are you trying to say?"

"So you're saying that you, Ayanokouji, took advantage of Horikita setting up the cameras, tricked Ichinose, and misled Horikita into helping you lure Class C students into a trap, all so you could get the charges against Sudou dropped?"

"I don't know anything about that. I was just helping Horikita set up the cameras because she asked me to, nothing more."

Ayanokouji said calmly.

Hikigaya let out a cold laugh, then turned to Ishizaki and the others.

"Why were you guys at the special building?"

"It... It was because Kushida invited us!"

Ishizaki answered without thinking.

Hikigaya then looked at Kushida, who seemed stunned.

"So, are you the mastermind behind all this, Kushida? Or were you just following someone else's request?"

"It... It was Ayanokouji-kun! He asked me to send a message to Ishizaki-kun from Class C to meet at the special building."

Kushida quickly spoke up, not hesitating to name someone else, afraid she'd get dragged into this mess.

"So, Ayanokouji, do you have anything to say?"

Hikigaya turned back to Ayanokouji and stared at him coldly.

"Are you going to say Horikita asked you to do it too?"

Ayanokouji didn't seem to pick up on the sarcasm in Hikigaya's voice and simply nodded.

"That's the truth."

Hikigaya smirked as if he had expected that answer.

"So, what you're saying is, you're completely innocent? That Horikita was the one behind everything, and she alone should take all the blame? Is that it?"

"No wonder Horikita immediately took responsibility when things went south. Turns out she was the only one at fault."

Hikigaya scoffed.

"So Horikita installed the cameras just to set a trap for Class C? And it had nothing to do with Hirata's claim that it was for student safety?"

At this point, everyone started realizing the severity of the situation.

Because of how serious this was, Horikita wasn't just facing a suspension—she could actually be expelled!

If they wanted to lessen her punishment, she had to go along with Hirata's version of the story—that the cameras were installed for safety reasons, out of concern for others, and not for personal gain.

They had to appeal to the school with emotions and logic.

But that created another big problem—Ichinose's position in all this.

For Ichinose's statement to hold up, she had to be unaware of the cameras and had to have been tricked by Class D. She had to be the victim.

But if Horikita went along with Hirata's explanation, then Ichinose's testimony would be questioned—it wouldn't add up.

That put them in a difficult position.

Save Horikita, but at the cost of sacrificing Ichinose.

Or save Ichinose, but at the cost of sacrificing Horikita.

Now, everyone finally understood why Hikigaya had suddenly stepped in to "expose" Ayanokouji as the one who tricked Ichinose and used Horikita.

Because they needed a scapegoat.

That was the only way to save both sides.

In simple terms, Ayanokouji had to take the blame.

That way, Horikita's punishment could be reduced, and Ichinose could be protected, keeping the peace between Class B and Class D.

If Ichinose got punished, the relationship between Class B and Class D would instantly turn hostile.

By sacrificing Ayanokouji, they could achieve an outcome that everyone could accept.

Of course, whether he actually did any of it—only he knew.

But from the way things looked, Ayanokouji didn't seem too willing to play along with this setup.

It wasn't clear if he genuinely didn't realize what was happening or if he did but refused to take the fall.

Hikigaya leaned toward the latter.

From the way Ayanokouji handled things, it was clear he was someone who liked to stay in the shadows and manipulate others from behind the scenes.

Getting the leaked test questions during the midterms, guiding Horikita when buying points from Chabashira-sensei, secretly pulling strings in Sudou's fight case—this situation wasn't any different.

Ayanokouji was a master at protecting himself, always finding a "shield" to hide behind.

Like a turtle retreating into its shell—unless you cracked it open, you couldn't touch him.

It just showed how much Ayanokouji valued his own safety.

In other words, he was a smart self-preservationist.

He would never put himself in danger.

So expecting him to willingly take the fall for this?

That was going to be tough.

But some things don't change just because someone wants them to.

"Ayanokouji, just like I told Horikita earlier, this isn't something that can be solved by just 'one person taking the blame.' And saying it has nothing to do with you won't clear you of involvement either."

Hikigaya looked straight into Ayanokouji's indifferent eyes.

"No matter how much you deny it, the fact that you were present and involved in this can't be ignored."

Other than Ishizaki and his group from Class C and Ichinose from Class B, the only ones from Class D here were Horikita and Ayanokouji. Seeing this, Hikigaya sneered.

"Don't tell me you're going to use some lame excuse like 'Horikita asked me to help' to get out of this?"

Ayanokouji stayed silent.

He realized this was Hikigaya's 'open trap.'

Before, he could still use 'Horikita told me to do it' as an excuse, but if he kept repeating that, anything he said afterward would lose all credibility.

It would make everyone start doubting him, distrusting him.

Hikigaya kept throwing more questions at him, but Ayanokouji remained silent.

"Oh? Why so quiet?"

Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. It didn't matter if Ayanokouji saw through him—because the seed of doubt had already been planted.

It was time to break his shell.

Hikigaya's eyes suddenly sharpened, a cold intensity mixed with something even more dangerous.

"If everything that happened was because 'Horikita told you to do it,' then what about when you bought the surveillance equipment? Did she order you to do that too?"

A flicker of emotion flashed across Ayanokouji's face.

He immediately realized the trap hidden in that question. No matter how he answered, he would lose.

If he admitted it, he'd fall right into Hikigaya's hands.

If he kept silent, that would also play right into Hikigaya's hands. Because the longer he stayed quiet, the more untrustworthy he would seem.

And more importantly... purchase records could be checked.

Hikigaya was counting on that. No matter what Ayanokouji chose to do, suspicion would stick to him. And once that happened, nothing he said would hold any weight.

"Hikigaya, I need to correct something."

Ayanokouji's expression remained blank, showing no trace of emotion.

"I wasn't the one who bought the surveillance equipment. Someone else did."

Hikigaya was briefly surprised. Did Ayanokouji catch on ahead of time? Or did Kushida slip up somewhere?

"It was Ike and Yamauchi. They were the ones who bought the equipment. It had nothing to do with me."

Two unexpected names came out of Ayanokouji's mouth.

Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.

Cautious, huh? He's making sure not to put himself in any danger at all. This kind of maneuvering... doesn't seem like something a high schooler would do. It's more like a politician's tactic.

"I see. So you're saying Ike and Yamauchi were also involved."

Hikigaya didn't waver. Instead, he went along with it.

"Thanks, Ayanokouji. You just helped me catch two more loose ends."

Ayanokouji: "..."

Hikigaya had Kushida call the two idiots. Thanks to her influence, Ike and Yamauchi showed up at the student council meeting room in less than five minutes, panting from running.

At first, they looked excited, thinking Kushida had invited them for something fun. But the moment they heard they were being dragged into trouble because of the surveillance equipment, their faces turned pale.

"It—it was Ayanokouji who told us to buy the stuff!"

"He said it was to help Ken! We don't know anything, we swear!"

"A-and he also said we'd get 1,000 private points for doing it! That's the only reason we agreed!"

As expected, Ike and Yamauchi instantly threw Ayanokouji under the bus without a second thought.

Who knew if Ayanokouji had anticipated this?

Either way, thanks to those two idiots, Ayanokouji's situation just got even worse.

Even Hikigaya couldn't help but wonder if Ayanokouji had a screw loose for trusting those two idiots. He also didn't understand why Ayanokouji was playing along as their "follower." Hikigaya guessed that Ayanokouji initially wanted to shift the risk onto them, but instead, he walked right into Hikigaya's trap.

"Ayanokouji, do you have anything to say now? Was this all Horikita's idea? And up until now, why have you been 'following' Horikita's orders? Did she threaten you? Are you trying to pursue her? Or is there some other reason? Don't tell me it's just another request from someone else?"

Hikigaya listed out the possible reasons. On the surface, it seemed like he was giving Ayanokouji an excuse to choose from, but in reality, he was cornering him. No matter which option Ayanokouji picked, it would only make everyone more suspicious of him.

At the same time, Kushida, who had been keeping a neutral expression, suddenly froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at Hikigaya. The reason was simple—originally, Class B was supposed to prepare the surveillance equipment, but after they refused, she was the one who personally asked Ayanokouji to take over.

And all of this was orchestrated by Hikigaya.

If she thought about it deeper, if Ayanokouji decided to expose her, the thought alone made her hands and feet go cold.

Right now, Ayanokouji was in a terrible situation. There was no way he could get out of this on his own. He glanced at Kushida, considering whether to drag her down with him... but the thought disappeared as quickly as it came.

No. Even if he involved Kushida, she had plenty of ways to slip out of it, and he would only make an enemy out of her, putting himself in an even worse position.

Then, Ayanokouji looked at Horikita. She immediately noticed his gaze and instantly understood—Ayanokouji was asking for her help.

But this put Horikita in a tough spot. If she spoke up now, she would be betraying Hirata. But if she stayed silent, she would feel guilty about Ayanokouji.

"Oh? Are you trying to act pitiful and get that 'naïve' woman Horikita to take the fall for you?"

Hikigaya suddenly stepped in, blocking Ayanokouji's view with an ice-cold expression. "You knew from the start that Horikita would never betray you. Even if this whole thing blew up, that foolish woman wouldn't rat you out. Instead, she'd take all the blame herself. That's the only reason you dared to do something like this."

"Otherwise, why would Horikita take responsibility for this, knowing full well that the punishment could be as serious as expulsion? Doesn't that seem strange to everyone?"

"Hikigaya, this isn't—"

"Horikita, are you still trying to cover for Ayanokouji?!"

Hikigaya shouted at her. "I understand that you want to protect your classmates, but blindly tolerating this kind of backstabbing is crossing the line! Sacrificing yourself for others—do you really think that's a good thing?!"

Horikita's mouth hung open. Ichinose, Kushida, and the others around them also had strange expressions. They all knew Hikigaya was spouting nonsense with a serious face, yet none of them could refute him—because this was the only way to get out of the situation.

With the way Hikigaya had set things up, Horikita suddenly looked like a noble, selfless person who had worked tirelessly to ensure the students' safety while also willingly sacrificing herself for her classmates.

In contrast, Ayanokouji had become the selfish liar who deceived Class B, took advantage of Horikita's kindness, and was now trying to use her again to escape punishment.

"Huh? So Horikita is actually that kind and selfless?"

Ike and Yamauchi were completely dumbfounded. Even Ishizaki, who had been suspicious of Horikita, started wondering if he had misunderstood her all along and if the real mastermind was that emotionless guy, Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji: "..."

At this point, the only person who could still save him was...

Ayanokouji turned to look at the "nice guy" of the class, Hirata. But Hirata avoided his gaze. freewebnøvel.com

Ayanokouji's face remained expressionless, but internally, he sighed—just as he had expected. Because Hirata was a "nice guy," there was no way he would stand by and let Horikita take the fall.

And besides, Hirata had been acting strangely vague and neutral in this whole situation. Maybe he had already been working with Hikigaya...

Realizing this, Ayanokouji knew there was no way to change the outcome anymore. If that was the case...

He looked at Hikigaya and calmly said, "Hikigaya, this was your plan all along."

His tone wasn't questioning—it was a statement. Hikigaya, of course, understood the hidden meaning behind his words.

"Isn't this the 'right outcome' that everyone wanted?"

Hikigaya stared at him coldly.

Ayanokouji's eyes flickered for a moment. Those words sounded familiar... They were the same words Hikigaya had used back when he and Horikita bought points from Chabashira-sensei.

"I see."

Ayanokouji glanced around at everyone, knowing full well that there was only one ending waiting for him.

"I admit it. I deceived Class B and used Horikita."

In the end, Ayanokouji confessed to his "crime," tying up all the loose ends of the story and bringing the entire situation to its logical conclusion.

Horikita submitted a request to the school to install surveillance cameras due to student safety concerns. Although setting up surveillance without permission is a serious violation, considering Horikita's motivation and the issue of distortion in verbal communication, her actions were understandable despite being against the rules. Ultimately, the final decision would be up to the student council president.

During this situation, Ayanokouji used the surveillance footage Horikita had set up to help Sudou get out of trouble in a fight. He tricked Ichinose from Class B, leading her to unknowingly pressure Class C students into withdrawing their accusations against Sudou.

Even though Ayanokouji took the blame for this, he was surprised to find that he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he felt something he couldn't quite describe. Searching through his memories, he suddenly found a word that fit—excitement.

"The verdict regarding the students involved in this incident will now be announced..."

Horikita Manabu glanced around the room before finally looking at his younger sister. Throughout the entire situation, he had barely expressed any opinions, watching quietly like a bystander as Hikigaya, his sister, and Ayanokouji handled things. He only stepped in after everything had settled.

"Although the intention and reasoning behind your actions are understandable, the act itself is a serious violation. However, each case must be judged individually. Considering the objective factors that led to misinformation and the approval process involved, I believe your intentions were not entirely wrong. The outcome of this situation is also not solely your fault. Furthermore, since this incident did not cause any major consequences..."

Horikita Manabu, expressionless, announced his sister's punishment.

"Horikita Suzune from Class D, you are given a formal warning and a three-day suspension."

Hearing this, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Although suspension was unavoidable, a three-day suspension was the lightest possible punishment compared to the risk of expulsion.

As Hikigaya expected, the decision was more symbolic than severe—meant as a warning rather than a harsh punishment.

"As for Ayanokouji..."

Horikita Manabu's gaze shifted to Ayanokouji, the so-called scapegoat. In reality, Ayanokouji's role in the incident was secondary at best. Deceiving Ichinose and taking advantage of Horikita's setup were more ethical concerns than actual rule violations, so the student council didn't have much reason to punish him harshly. In fact, he might even receive a lighter sentence than Horikita.

That was probably one reason Ayanokouji didn't bother resisting—since he was only an accomplice, there was no way his punishment would be worse than Horikita's.

But responsibility and punishment don't always align perfectly.

"Technically speaking, Ayanokouji was only an accomplice, so a lighter punishment would be appropriate. However, considering the negative impact of his actions and the need to set an example for other students, he will receive a formal warning and a five-day suspension."

Horikita Manabu read out the verdict with a blank expression.

Ayanokouji slightly furrowed his brows at the announcement but didn't voice any objections.

On the other hand, Hikigaya was surprised. He had expected Ayanokouji's punishment to be lighter than Horikita's.

At that moment, Hikigaya caught a brief glance from Horikita Manabu. Though it lasted only a second, he suddenly had a realization.

Was this a favor in return?

Hikigaya let out a wry smile. Was this because of what happened with Horikita earlier?

He hadn't thought about it that way, and he wasn't actually aiming for Ayanokouji to receive a harsher punishment. What he really wanted was...

"And now, regarding the punishment for the others involved..."

Horikita Manabu turned his attention to Ike and Yamauchi, who had been watching the situation unfold like spectators. They still hadn't realized the seriousness of their situation and were even mocking Horikita, likely still bitter about how she had scolded them in front of the entire class.

Then, the two idiots received their punishment— a formal warning and a three-day suspension.

Since Ike and Yamauchi had purchased the surveillance equipment, they were considered accomplices in the incident. Their punishment was inevitable. However, instead of accepting it, they started complaining and blaming Horikita, Hirata, and Hikigaya for dragging them into this mess.

Especially Hikigaya. Maybe due to past conflicts, they took this opportunity to mock him, saying his student council position was useless if he couldn't even handle something this small. Yamauchi even loudly questioned Horikita Manabu's fairness as student council president.

"Given their poor attitude, complete lack of remorse, and their behavior in this meeting—shouting, insulting the student council, and showing no sense of discipline—it is considered an intentional challenge against the school authority. Therefore, Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki from Class D will receive a disciplinary record, a two-week suspension, and must submit a written apology of at least 5,000 words within three days, which will be publicly posted across the entire school as a warning to others."

Horikita Manabu's face was cold as he made the announcement.

Realizing the severity of the punishment, the two idiots collapsed onto the floor in shock.

Ishizaki, who had been enjoying the show, quickly covered his mouth, afraid that any reaction might draw the student council president's attention to him. That would be a disaster.

And so, this incident—which started as a serious rule violation—ended in an unexpected, almost comical way.

Despite being the main culprit, Horikita received a surprisingly light punishment. Meanwhile, Ayanokouji and the two idiots, who were less involved, ended up with harsher consequences.

Especially Ike and Yamauchi, who not only got a two-week suspension but also had to publicly post their apology.

The worst part?

Originally, this incident had nothing to do with them. They only got involved because they followed Ayanokouji's instructions in exchange for a mere 1,000 private points.

Now, looking at Ayanokouji, their eyes were practically burning with rage.

If Horikita Manabu weren't still in the room, they probably would have already rushed over to tear Ayanokouji apart.

After dealing with the issue of illegally installed surveillance cameras, Horikita Manabu also took the opportunity to settle Sudou's fight incident.

But since everyone had just gone through the exhausting surveillance camera incident, both Class D and Class C were completely drained.

It was like they had entered some kind of dazed state.

Horikita and the others still seemed affected by what had happened earlier.

After all, compared to the surveillance camera issue, Sudou's fight wasn't as serious. The former had a much bigger impact and took a greater mental toll on everyone.

You could tell from their faces—no one had the energy to care anymore.

No one even felt like talking about the fight.

Seeing this, Horikita Manabu didn't drag things out and simply announced the final decision: both sides would be punished equally, and Sudou would be suspended for ten days.

No one objected.

In fact, no one even seemed to care anymore.

What started as a huge fight ended up being settled in such an anticlimactic way.

At this point, barely anyone was paying attention to Sudou's punishment anymore.

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