There is something wrong with Hikigaya’s classroom of the Elite, as expected

Chapter 34: The Animals and the Cage

Is the possibility of threatening Class A valuable enough?

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

Unfortunately, there was still no visible change in Horikita Manabu’s expression. Outsiders could not guess his thoughts, as his emotions never showed on his face — completely unreadable!

This sudden silence made it feel as though one could hear everyone’s breathing.

For Hikigaya, as the one being interviewed, this invisible pressure was enormous. It was the force and psychological oppression from those in higher positions. It was like when subordinates face higher-ups who, in order to assert their authority, remain silent for a moment, creating invisible pressure before speaking.

However, Hikigaya’s mental fortitude was strong enough. Just like Horikita Manabu, Hikigaya’s face remained indifferent. Even with his dead-fish eyes, his aura was just as strong… Could it be that he was rivaling the president?!

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

The two of them stood as still as statues.

“Ahem!”

At this moment, Haruno coughed a few times, which broke the heavy silence. Horikita Manabu finally moved, adjusting his glasses, and examined Hikigaya before speaking slowly, “Not only did you distort the concept, generalize things, but you also imposed cause and effect, and confused the issue.”

Horikita Manabu’s critique was merciless.

“But… it’s interesting.”

The sudden shift felt like a sudden rise and fall. If someone with weaker mental resilience had been in Hikigaya’s place, they would have broken into a cold sweat, showing signs of fear or surprise. But surprisingly, there was no change in Hikigaya’s expression.

It was a calmness that didn’t let external circumstances affect his emotions.

In fact, Hikigaya wasn’t troubled by this turn of events. Rather, he felt a sense of calm, as if he had been expecting it all along.

This was because he had already regarded the student council president as a “mature adult.” With enough mental preparation and data from similar figures, the speech just now felt like something Hikigaya had encountered in the workplace — very familiar.

Horikita Manabu glanced at the time, and Tachibana Akane immediately caught on, signaling that the interview was over. She asked Hikigaya to wait for the results, which would be sent via email within a week.

Hikigaya swiftly stood up and left, but out of the corner of his eye, he instinctively glanced at someone. Haruno seemed to have been waiting for this moment, smiling and waving her hand, making a “I’ll find you later” gesture with her lips.

The dead-fish-eyed boy, startled, quickly fled the scene!

…

“Hikigaya, this student is quite interesting, don’t you think?” Haruno asked, looking at Hikigaya’s retreating figure and unable to suppress her laughter.

Horikita Manabu didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he fell silent, lost in thought. Tachibana Akane, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow and spoke up, “The standards for recruiting new student council members are very strict. Hikigaya performed well just now, but the previous candidates were just as good, if not better, in terms of academic abilities and social relationships, and… moreover…”

“You mean because he’s from Class D, and so far, the student council hasn’t had any precedent for admitting someone from Class D, right?” Haruno chimed in, finishing Tachibana’s thought with a smile.

“Just the fact that such an idea exists is already telling.”

“I… I…” Tachibana Akane opened her mouth to speak but was suddenly interrupted by Horikita Manabu raising his hand.

“Aside from the top candidate, the other students have better overall qualities than this student from Class D.” Horikita Manabu gave his assessment based on his own judgment. But then his tone softened with a slight sense of lament. “However, when it comes to understanding the school’s rules, this student from Class D has the most profound insight out of all the candidates.”

“Are you satisfied with Hikigaya’s performance?”

Horikita Manabu didn’t answer Haruno’s question immediately. After a brief silence, he shook his head. “But… it’s still not enough.”

Haruno’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. She still wore her cheerful smile, while Tachibana Akane’s face revealed a look of surprise.

After Haruno’s comment, Tachibana had already started to lean toward this Class D student. Knowing the president as well as she did, Tachibana thought Horikita Manabu would be pleased with the student. But why had the president suddenly changed his attitude so drastically? As Tachibana wondered, she couldn’t help but ask herself, Am I still not able to understand the president enough?

“Heh, maybe,” Haruno’s mind suddenly flashed to Hikigaya’s dead-fish eyes, and a small smile formed on her lips. “He’s really good at deceiving people, isn’t he?”

After saying that, Haruno stood up and waved as she left the student council office. Horikita Manabu watched her departure with a furrowed brow. “She really knows how to keep her composure.”

Horikita had expected Haruno to ask more questions, but she abruptly stopped. Perhaps his intentions had been too obvious?

Now, only Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane remained in the student council office. After Haruno left, Tachibana felt a sense of relief and subconsciously glanced at Horikita Manabu.

“President…” Tachibana hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you invite Yukinoshita to join the student council? If it’s about academics and social relations, the students named Katsuragi and Ichinose from earlier had obvious advantages…”

“Akane.”

Horikita Manabu interrupted her gently, his gaze seemingly directed at something ahead, though his eyes appeared to be looking further beyond. “Some things are far more important than what you can see with your eyes. I’ve had a deep experience with Yukinoshita’s abilities and know she’s a very dangerous person.”

Tachibana furrowed her brow at his words, suddenly feeling a sense of unease welling up inside her.

“President, since you think she is very dangerous, why still…”

“Do you know? Dangerous animals are not frightening. What’s frightening is allowing dangerous animals to roam freely.”

“Are you saying… the student council is her cage?”

Tachibana Akane looked stunned, also for the first time seeing the president speak so highly of someone, even… with a hint of fear?

“I didn’t expect her… that her family would agree to send her to this school. If I were already retired from this position, it would be easier to handle…”

At this point, Horikita Manabu’s usually expressionless face showed a slight change as he couldn’t help but rub his forehead. “If we really let her do whatever she wants, the harm she could cause might be no less than Nagumo’s. But every situation has its two sides. At least, after we retire in our third year, someone will be able to involve and balance Nagumo, preventing the student council from becoming a dictatorship under him.”