u/Life_Button_6426

1) Where was Horikita during the final showdown?

We know till the fact that Sudo was commanded to handle the rear guard (Ryuen’s class) while Hirata fighting as vanguard (Ayanokoji-Ichinose collusion) by Horikita. Which Sudo did so efficiently and singlehandedly while also protecting the VIP and also the commendable confrontation between Hirata and Hashimoto, where we saw the raw emotions of Hirata.

So when this was happening, where was our leader, Horikita? I thought she might not be with Sudo because she trusted him to do his job well so she will eventually be with Hirata instead. Even though she also trusted Hirata to do his job, I thought, her being the leader, we’ll be able to see her in action against at least the opponent’s leader’s sidekick-Hashimoto. And yet, she was absent from here as well.

I mean, the author just how conveniently decides that Horikita is no longer needed in the final moments of the game just because it was decided her class was going to lose. I really wanted to know what she was feeling right at the moment or what last-ditch attempt she tried to make in order to survive in those last forty-thirty minutes.

2) Was it mentioned anywhere that she used her Protection Point?

So this was actually a tricky question, because we don’t even know that a protection point was even used here in the first place; as all the teachers were pretty tensed about the following exam to even care about the result of the preceding exam and its expulsion.

But let’s say the expulsion was guaranteed for the last placed class.

Ayanokoji deduced the fact (either with him being with class A for whole night or through his spy/spies) that Horikita was going to use her Protection Point in the event they lose the game and an expulsion was carried out.

But is it mentioned anywhere that she DID use her Protection Point?

These two questions are still gnawing at me, which I hope will be cleared in the next volume. And yet I was actually hoping for either of the above doubts to be cleared in the Horikita SS. But unfortunately, what I got was another meaninglessly forceful attempt by Kei done in order to make Horikita accept her feelings. I mean, she should’ve just left the topic be when they opened up that day at the bench where she got the inclination that Horikita might harbour such feelings towards Ayanokoji. That day if Kei herself said ‘Let’s make Ayanokoji regret transferring from our class’ to motivate Horikita who was down in the dumps, why is she making her weak and confused at such a crucial moment of exam? Horikita had just asked her about Ayanokoji with the intent of learning his and Ichinose’s relationship, but Kei made it so about how all girls, including Horikita, are fawning over one guy and that’s totally okay. Like the heck? Sorry, if ya’ll think it was necessary for Horikita to understand her feelings and all, but any other time should’ve been fine or rather she would’ve gradually accepted her feelings herself without any external interference.

Also, is it like a thumb rule that the SS would only be used/are planned as romantic plotlines? As it only ever includes all the girls and their feelings towards their God-Ayanokoji.

So as Kinugasa, who mentioned in Y3V3 afterword that the next volume would have a ‘significant turning point’, has ever in his previous volumes mentioned something along those lines? And if yes, did the following volume really turn out to be a turning point?
And also regarding the cast he mentioned, how it will majorly focus on a ‘much smaller cast’, do you think it will only consist of Ayanokoji, few new prominent first years and the ones who are going to be expelled?

I came to know about such a spin-off manga about Horikita. I don’t know if other characters also have theirs. Since I haven’t read it, does it really imply that she would never end with him? Many on the main sub have claimed that apparently. Matter of fact, why the spin-off if the novel is still on-going?

(Horikita, looking at the one infamous bench after understanding who had been sitting there, starts thinking)
To take my love away
When I come back around, will I know what to say?
Said you won't forget my name (Name, as in the moments they shared)
Not today, not tomorrow (Doesn’t think wise to go and sit there that day)
Kinda strange, feelin' sorrow
I got change (yup), you could borrow (borrow) (Even for her herself, this feeling is so drastic that she feels like compensating in terms of money (or any means) just to have her pain caused by him, go away)
When I come back around, will I know what to say? (Come back around)
Not today, maybe tomorrow *(*Contemplated a bit, but just couldn’t go there)

Open up the door, can you open up the door? (Asking Ayanokoji to open up his past)
I know you said before you can't cope with anymore (She thinking herself as a failure due to which Ayanokoji left the class)
You told me it was war, said you'd show me what's in store (About Ayanokoji’s plan regarding the Class war and her ability to win, but he never actually said it to her)
I hope it's not for sure, can you open up the door?
Did you take
My love away
From me?
Me
Me

(Horikita imagining in her head when he might’ve decided to leave her)
Saw your seat at the counter when I looked away
Saw you turn around, but it wasn't your face
Said, "I need to be alone now, I'm takin' a break"
How come when I returned, you were gone away? (Like the one instance, where at Y2V12 party, he came close to her saying something, to which she turned away in embarrassment and that’s when he left her)

I don't, I don't know why I called
I don't know you at all
I don't know you
Not at all
I don't, I don't know why I called
I don't know you at all
I don't know you
Did you take
My love away
From me?
Me

(Horikita finally found the courage to sit on the bench, just when Ayanokoji came coincidentally, unbeknownst to him about her being there)
And that's when you found me
I was waitin' in the garden
Contemplatin', beg your pardon
But there's a part of me that recognizes you
Do you feel it too? (She questions whether her knowledge about him (as little as it may be) was wrong or fake because he doesn’t accept when Horikita reminds him of his feelings)
When you told me it was serious
Were you serious? Mm* ****(Serious about when she asked if he really was his ally)***
They told me they were only curious (But after joining Sakayanagi’s class, they asked him if he was serious)
Now it's serious, mm (Is when he was actually getting serious in theirs)

Open up the door, can you open up the door?
I know you said before you can't cope with anymore
You told me it was war, said you'd show me what's in store
I hope it's not for sure, can you open up the door?

(This is when Horikita came to know about the White Room)
Wringing my hands in my lap
And you tell me it's all been a trap (WR’s actual plan)
And you don't know if you'll make it back (Him returning to he WR forever)
I say, "No, don't say that"
Hm-hm

Phew, this felt even more amazing when I was actually putting down in words, correlating the situations to the lyrics.
And now I’m crying, when the realisation hit me like a rock that Ayanokoji and Horikita are going to get involved with each other so deeply.

Okay before I start, lemme be clear. I have no interest in an NPC character like her, who only came into view whenever Horikita was out of the picture. And that’s also the reason I don’t feel like reading Y3V2 and Y3V3, unless we are getting the absolute truth.

And also, for past almost 40 hours I have been reading analysis and theory of Ayanokoji and Horikita‘s bond (I don’t know what suddenly got me into this) only of a certain analyst u/kovly (I mean, hat’s off to you guy for a pinpoint perfection and observation, I read your comments and posts way back till 3 years ago). I mean it when I say that, I have always tried to read between the lines but this person just made it strikingly clear.

So let’s say for the sake of argument, that Ayanokoji is being the unreliable narrator, or the one who lies when confessing something real (mostly with Horikita). Well, there were instances (talking about Y3V1 and before) where Ayanokoji genuinely liked the presence of Hiyori, who never unsettled him, which also had no implications of him possibly longing for or missing Horikita. But she, Hiyori, does unsettle him now in Y3V3 (i guess? since I don’t follow and have mostly read the spoilers in reddit) by imposing factors of jealousy and true love and what not.

So now if he genuinely seeks to target all his romantic feelings towards another girl(which I came to know from this sub was ‘unrequited’), and thus will achieve mutual love, won’t he just forget Horikita?

I mean not completely forget her but he will only keep her as his friend, the way he had done until now. (If that happens, I am gonna abandon completing this saga)

Also, Horikita‘s fate being intertwined with Ayanokoji’s fate, doesn’t necessarily mean to be in a romantic way, perhaps?

Sorry, but I soo want to have them end up together as a pair, but these inconsistencies are keeping me awake, thinking it just might be that I read too much into their romance. Only a strong assurance will make me read the future volumes.

Thank you for reading my nonsense blabbering.

While I do agree to a few things everybody says about him being invincible, but that's just because he his invincible right NOW. Right after coming from the WR world, he thinks (almost correct) and is adamant that there will be nothing that could go wrong with him remaining undefeated. What he is yet to know that, some people, quite a few, do undergo an immense flip of a switch which he never learned in a facility where children were forced to always win, while many eventually broke. Here, not only just Horikita but her whole class has been slowly but steadily improving (never had to force themselves) and under such a leader who herself was a misfit of a classmate (forget being leader) but she changed as well, and did many prominent others. He, with the WR mentality, is again forcing growth in others in a direction HE deems necessary, by constantly interfering in others lives. So, now if Horikita does something, which is not considered as a growth from Ayanokoji's perspective (or if she goes offtrack of the path he intended her to walk on to the stage of rivalry), and leads to an unimaginable (for a mind like Ayanokoji) outcome, is when he'll understand how normal human psyche works under pressure.

And as we have seen many a times, that Ayanokoji always stepped in to save a tired and exhausted Horikita, just says that he never had let her handle stuff on her own, especially during some ruthless incidences (because of his premeditated goal). Some people do work well under pressure, and she will break the illusion of her in his mind.