『』『』『』『』『』
Meanwhile, in a different classroom, while Horikita and the other Class D students were in the middle of their discussion, the atmosphere here was cold and tense. The assembled Class B students appeared greatly intimidated by the person sitting at the top of the podium table before them.
"There've been too many unnatural things happening, wouldn't you say? There's no way all of this was just coincidence." He spoke as if muttering to himself, yet his vague words were clearly aimed at someone.
Ryuen Kakeru was Class B's leader and dictator.
Beside him stood Albert, Ishizaki, and several other students skilled in fighting. They looked ready to deliver punishment with their fists and legs the moment anyone opposed him.
"First, the test on the uninhabited island. Then the sports festival. Someone hiding in Class D knows how to think like me."
"The uninhabited island? Wasn't Kumagawa the real mastermind behind that?" asked Ibuki, who stood near the window.
Since Class B had lost that exam badly, Ryuen had already explained what happened behind the scenes based on the information he had gathered. One thing the class knew for certain was that Kumagawa had played a major role in Class D's victory at that time.
"It's true that the cockroach was the most likely mastermind behind Class D's win back then. But I'm not talking about the result of the exam," Ryuen answered.
This made several other people who understood the situation feel confused, but Ryuen apparently had no intention of explaining himself further.
"So there's someone who thinks like you, Ryuen-san? Other than Kumagawa, I can't imagine anyone like that in Class D," Ishizaki blurted out. To him, Ryuen was a strange and incomprehensible person who inspired both fear and admiration.
"I thought the same, but not anymore."
"So the sports festival was connected somehow?"
"Yes, exactly. But don't worry. I'm starting to understand how this person moves."
BAM!
Ryuen suddenly slammed his hand onto the podium table.
"Listen up, all of you. From now on, we're going to crush Class D with everything we have. We'll leave Classes A and C aside for now. I'll drag out the one hiding in Class D's shadows."
No one objected to his plan.
Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. Unless they wished to be ruled through violence, no one dared act against him. In a sense, they had already made a deal with the devil.
"It's not that I doubt you, Ryuen-san, but who could be capable of that? Isn't Kumagawa still the most likely suspect?"
"It's not Kumagawa," Ryuen replied.
His words were strangely certain, causing Ishizaki to fall silent.
"But if we're talking about capable people, there's still Hirata or Suzune. And someone in Class B can expose the puppet master's true identity." Ryuen turned from Ishizaki and looked over the rest of the class once more.
"What are you trying to say, Ryuen?" asked Ibuki, crossing her arms. Her posture was openly defiant.
"Heh. Ibuki, can't you stay quiet and listen?"
"I don't have that luxury. Besides, you're just trying to scare the whole class. I gain nothing by staying silent, right?"
"Someone without authority shouldn't talk so much. Besides, didn't you make a rather pathetic mistake?" Ryuen looked at her coldly.
"That's..."
Ibuki was forced to swallow her words.
Her failure during the sports festival had been significant. Ryuen had wanted above all else to crush Horikita. Ibuki had personally asked to face Horikita directly, only to lose by a narrow margin.
"Like you, then?" said Ibuki, glaring at Ryuen. This was her only chance to fire back. "You also failed to crush Horikita during the sports festival, and you didn't get the private points you wanted either. You're no different from me."
"The same as you? Don't make me laugh. My strategy was perfect."
"Then how do you explain the results? You never explain anything and you seriously expect us to believe that Class D suddenly has some master strategist who appeared out of nowhere?"
Hearing Ibuki's rebuttal, the other students trembled in fear. They wanted to avoid provoking Ryuen and drawing his anger. Yet contrary to that fear, Ryuen looked pleased that Ibuki had challenged him like this.
It was as if he had been waiting for someone to ask.
"Don't you think even a perfect strategy becomes meaningless if someone leaks information?"
"Leaks... information?"
"Class D's success came from the schemes of a mysterious person I'll call X. And X has an ally in Class B-my class. There's a spy among us."
Ibuki's eyes widened in shock.
The others looked equally confused.
"Wait, are you serious?" Ibuki asked.
"It's true. It seems my control over all of you still isn't strong enough. Extremely unfortunate."
He smiled as though the idea of being betrayed amused him.
Everyone in the room silently prayed this would end soon. They wanted nothing more than to return to their dorms or escape to their club activities.
"First, I'll ask directly. The one who betrayed me, raise your hand." He spoke in a completely normal tone, the same tone he used in casual conversation. Yet it only made the room more tense.
Some averted their eyes and pretended ignorance. Others glanced around to see if anyone would step forward. Some remained completely still, afraid of attracting attention.
No one raised a hand.
"If you come forward now, I'll forgive you."
"....."
Once again, no one moved.
The continuing silence seemed to delight him.
"Yes. I knew a spy would choose to stay hidden. Don't come forward. In fact, stay hidden no matter what."
"Wait, what? You're seriously just going to accept that Class B has a traitor?" Ibuki asked.
"Shut up, Ibuki. Don't ruin my fun. I'll bury you if you do." Ryuen had been all smiles before, but his face twisted as he glared at Ibuki.
He was completely serious.
Ryuen treated men and women the same. If he decided someone was in his way, or useful to him, he would use any method available. Physical violence or mental pressure made no difference to him.
"I've actually tried not to be too violent so far. You may think I'm lying, but it's true. I've been going easy on everyone."
BAM! BAM!
He slammed the podium twice.
It sounded like the tolling of doom for the class.
"But maybe that was foolish. After all, now we have a traitor among us."
BAM!
Ryuen struck the podium once more. The sound reverberated through the room.
"So, we're going to play a little game. A silly, childish little game where we try to find the spy. For most of you, there's really no need to be afraid. This shouldn't take long at all; just thirty minutes,"
Despite his words about having fun, everyone was terrified. Even Ibuki, who opposed Ryuen's tyranny more than anyone else in Class B, began to feel apprehensive.
『Hmm? What's this? It feels like I walked into a funeral. Did someone die without the school noticing? 』
Suddenly, the classroom door at the back slid open.
Kumagawa Misogi entered with his usual dubious smile, walking in so naturally that it felt as though he had belonged to Class B from the very beginning.
『That's not good. Usually news like this should reach the student council before anyone else. 』
"Kumagawa..."
Ryuen looked at him with dangerous eyes.
『Long time no see, Ryuen-chan. It's me. 』
Seeing Kumagawa enter their classroom so naturally despite the tense atmosphere, the students of Class B could only look back and forth between him and Ryuen, unsure of what to do as the two faced each other.
"What are you doing in my classroom? Can't you see we're trying to 'diplomatically' solve our internal problem? If you're done playing tourist, get the hell out."
『Diplomatically...? Ahaha, since when has a class ruled by an iron fist ever solved things diplomatically? What's with that? Are you stupid? Ahahaha.』
Kumagawa replied in a manner that could only be described as pretentious.
The students who already feared Ryuen became even more tense after Kumagawa openly mocked him to his face.
『But putting that aside, I came here to see Hiyori-chan. 』
"Hiyori?"
Ryuen turned his eyes toward the bookworm sitting at the back of the class, calmly reading her book as though she had ignored the entire situation from the start.
She then looked up from her book and noticed Kumagawa had already entered the classroom. She lightly waved at him.
"Kumagawa-kun!"
Kumagawa waved back in return before turning his attention to Ryuen once more.
『Yeah. You see, I made an important promise with Hiyori-chan, so I came to pick her up. But looking at this situation, that doesn't seem possible anymore. 』
"Then take her and leave." Ryuen said.
Whether Hiyori stayed or not in this so-called "diplomatic" discussion, as Ryuen had called it earlier, mattered little. While it would be convenient to have her present, she was hardly necessary.
At the very least, Ryuen was certain Hiyori was not the traitor.
With her personality, the idea of her acting as a spy was absurd. She had little interest in the class competition forced by the school and preferred to remain in her own world of books, unconcerned with everything else. Though from time to time, she offered useful insight that Ryuen quietly appreciated.
That was why he had no issue if she chose to leave.
In fact, he would rather have her leave now so Kumagawa would leave as well.
His presence here was nothing but trouble.
『That's impossible, Ryuen-chan. 』
Kumagawa curtly rejected his suggestion.
『Didn't you know my position is the student council vice president of this school? No matter how you look at it, it's a role meant to serve the student body and solve their problems, no matter the cost. And since this class is trying to solve its internal problem in such a diplomatic way, then obviously I need to get involved too. Am I right? 』
"..."
Without caring about Ryuen's dangerous glare, Kumagawa walked from the back of the classroom to the front, stopping beside the podium table where Ryuen sat. His manner was so natural that no one moved to stop him.
Even Ishizaki and albert, who's often considered as Ryuen's closest subordinate and sevearal other people who also stand near Ryuen didn't stop him.
『So? What are you trying to solve through diplomatic means, Ryuen-chan? 』
"You're really testing the limits of my patience, Kumagawa." Ryuen spoke in a cold, dangerous tone meant to intimidate him.
『Hmm, I'm grateful to hear that, but... what exactly made you lose your patience? If it's that serious, should I hear about it? 』
Without being intimidated in the slightest, Kumagawa asked plainly.
"...So you have no intention of leaving?"
『Well, my position requires me to attend situations like this. Besides, my only talent is serving my superiors. So even if this meeting lasts until sunrise tomorrow, I have no intention of abandoning my duty as student council vice president.』
"Superiors? Since when did I become your superior?"
『Ahaha, don't be so modest. The student council exists to serve the students, in other words, servants. I have confidence in my ability to serve people, so don't worry. 』
"....."
This was troublesome.
Ryuen could easily drag him out by force, but he wasn't foolish enough to do that openly in the middle of the classroom, especially with surveillance cameras installed. Unless he wanted to beg for suspension, violence was not an option.
And the fact that the intruder held the title of student council vice president only made things more complicated.
Even though Kumagawa twisted his words to make the student council sound pathetic and powerless, Ryuen knew better. It was an organization with real authority, no matter how much nonsense came from the boy's mouth.
In other words, for now, he couldn't act carelessly.
In that case-
"Let me ask you one thing then. Were you the one who ruined my little dance with Suzune during the sports festival?"
『Plan...? Ah, you mean the one you made with her, right? She seemed rather frustrated when she told me about it, but I had nothing to do with that. In fact, I was completely blameless. 』
"So you're in the loop, then?"
Kumagawa gave an exaggerated nod.
"Hah."
Ryuen let out a short, dry laugh.
He already knew Kushida and Kumagawa were close, especially with the rumor that they were childhood friends. But it seemed their relationship was even closer than he had expected. Ryuen then hopped down from the podium table, narrowing his eyes as he studied the boy beside him.
"So, are you on her side then? Is that it?"
『I'm not on anyone's side. Since I'm the student council vice president, it wouldn't be ethically right for me to side with anyone. But if I had to choose, then I'm clearly on the side of the weak. 』
"Is that so?"
『That's right.』
The exchange between Kumagawa and Ryuen left the rest of Class B confused, but they were far too afraid to ask what was going on.
"Kuku, then do as you like."
Ryuen dismissed Kumagawa with those words and turned back toward the class once more.
"First things first. Take your phones out and place them on your desks. I'll check them personally. Any idiots who didn't bring theirs should step forward now. One of them is the culprit." He then looked toward Ishizaki. "And you, collect all of them."
"H-huh?"
Ishizaki looked unsure. It wasn't because of Ryuen's order, since he was one of Ryuen's most loyal followers.
He hesitated because Kumagawa was here, an outsider to Class B.
"Just do as I said," Ryuen ordered.
With little choice, Ishizaki went around the room collecting the phones, attaching labels with each owner's name. It seemed the labels had been prepared in advance. Ibuki also handed hers over with a dissatisfied look.
"Ryuen-san, I collected everyone's phones," said Ishizaki. "Ours too."
"Good work. Well then, I think it's time for a proper investigation." Ryuen then glanced at Kumagawa, "This method isn't against the rules, right, Vice President Kumagawa?"
『I don't see anything wrong with it. 』Kumagawa merely shrugged, 『As long as you have their consent, I don't see the issue. 』
Hearing that, many students wanted to protest the careless attitude of someone who was supposed to be the vice president. But once again, no one spoke, since their fear of the class tyrant outweighed their complaints.
Then Ibuki, who had remained near the window the entire time, slowly approached Ryuen and whispered quietly.
"What are you doing? Kumagawa is from outside our class. Are you going to explain what's happening here?"
"Later." Ryuen ran a hand through his hair and picked up Ibuki's phone. "Well then, let's begin with yours, Ibuki.
"....Do whatever you want."
After checking Ibuki's phone, he moved on to the next one. He inspected each phone personally, and the whole process took around twenty minutes, less than a minute for each device. There was no way he had checked them thoroughly. Even though the students had doubts, no one said anything. Or rather, no one could.
『Umm, I know I said it was my duty as vice president to attend meetings like this, but what exactly are we trying to find out? As an outsider, I don't have the slightest clue what's going on. Could someone fill me in? 』
During all this time, Kumagawa had simply stood there while Ryuen examined every phone without explaining anything to him.
Ryuen gave him a short glance before turning to Ishizaki.
"Ishizaki, explain it to him."
"H-huh? You mean we have to tell him what's going on, Ryuen-san?" Ishizaki looked openly shocked.
Not only him, the rest of the class looked surprised by Ryuen's decision as well.
Since this was an internal problem for Class B, allowing someone like Kumagawa from another class to hear about it was nothing short of troubling. That was why one of the students raised his hand, which Ryuen quickly noticed.
"Do you have something to ask, Kaneda?"
The one who raised his hand and stood up was Kaneda Satoru. A boy with a rigid mushroom cut and thick glasses, he stood out as one of the few intellectual pillars in a class otherwise filled with muscle-brained troublemakers.
"Ryuen-shi, I'm not so sure about this."
Kaneda adjusted his glasses, glancing warily at the boy standing by the podium.
"Is it really okay to let Kumagawa-shi stay while we talk about our class problem? What if he leaks our class situation to Class D? Isn't that going to be a problem?"
Kaneda's concern was perfectly logical.
Even putting aside the absurd excuse of him being the student council vice president, in the cutthroat competition between classes, letting someone from another class stay during their internal conflict was dangerous in many ways. Anyone from a different class was an enemy by default.
But instead, Ryuen looked at him disapprovingly.
"Kaneda."
He spoke coldly.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion, did I? I told Ishizaki to explain things to Kumagawa. Or... are you the traitor?"
Hearing that, Kaneda immediately shut his mouth and sat down.
"Now, Ishizaki, explain it to him."
Once again, with little choice, Ishizaki explained what had happened and how someone in Class B was likely a traitor working as a spy for someone from Class D.
『Just to reiterate, the key point here is that someone from this class intentionally leaked information to someone from Class D and ruined your plan involving Horikita-chan. And because of that, you're using your authority to find the traitor and deal with them quickly, before the next exam begins. Am I wrong? 』
He even drew a diagram using the marker on the podium table to make it easier to understand.
"Heh, exactly right. You've got a real talent for being an overqualified errand boy, Kumagawa."
Ryuen studied the diagram with a dismissive gaze.
"There's a rat hiding in my hole, and I've never been the type to share my space with vermin. I'm going to drag them out and make sure they regret it. That's the only diplomacy you need to worry about."
"But is there really a traitor in our class?" asked Ibuki. Her agitation had yet to subside.
Deep down, she wondered whether Ryuen had invented the story of a traitor to cover up his own failure. Ever since the island exam, Ryuen had believed some hidden figure was controlling Horikita from the shadows. So far, however, there had not been a single piece of proof that such a mastermind even existed.
Even after checking everyone's phones, Ryuen had found no evidence at all.
"I can see why you're upset, especially when evidence matters more than theory."
Ryuen laughed lightly as he pulled out his phone.
"Listen carefully. I assume this is something all of you know quite well, right?"
He replayed an audio file that X had sent him.
The voice in the recording was Ryuen's, explaining his strategy to Class B. His voice was extremely clear, meaning it had been recorded from very close range.
"I received this recording just when I was about to force Suzune to kneel," Ryuen continued. "Forget the private points. Because of this, I didn't get to watch Suzune beg. Do you understand now?"
"Wait a minute. Even if we assume you didn't record that file yourself, there are still things you need to explain. We never discussed the details of making Horikita kneel in front of you. And this other person somehow anticipated everything, even the time you were meeting her? Is that even possible?" said Ibuki.
Her conclusion was only natural. Not only had his strategy been leaked, but even the timing of his meeting with Horikita had been discovered.
『That's just impossible, Ibuki-chan. If that were true, then this X person would have to know every single thing happening in this school. 』
"...What do you mean?" Ibuki looked at Kumagawa strangely.
For some reason, it was Kumagawa who answered instead of Ryuen. Someone from a completely different class.
『Since that's impossible, then it has to be coincidence. The best time to ruin Ryuen-chan's plan would be after the festival ended, so they simply took advantage of the timing and sent the message then. Though I do have to say, this X person has excellent timing. 』
The rest of the class looked at him oddly. Kumagawa was acting as if he belonged there, freely giving his thoughts despite being from another class.
"Kukuku."
Ryuen let out a laugh.
"Kumagawa's right. X, Class D's mastermind, had this audio file. X clearly understood the strategy I created. If he knew all my plans, including leaking the participation table, then he could have stopped my attack on Suzune during the sports festival. He could have prevented Suzune from being crushed and forced to beg for forgiveness. But he didn't. Even though X knew my strategy, he let me do as I pleased and allowed Suzune to suffer. She was injured, unable to keep competing, and had to carry the guilt of hurting someone else as well
"So by letting you go that far, this person turned the audio file into incriminating evidence? Is that right, Ryuen-shi?" Kaneda asked.
"How clever of you, Kaneda. If my strategy had succeeded, that audio file would have gained meaning. In other words, it would have become undeniable evidence."
"This X person's way of thinking is cruel. He just let his friend get hurt."
"Yes. X wasn't bothered by the idea of Suzune kneeling before me. That's why there wasn't any text in the message he sent. I doubt he cared whether Suzune's pride was hurt or not." Ryuen laughed lightly.
"Which brings me to the main point."
He looked over the entire class once more.
"Who is the traitor?"
"....."
Once again, no one raised a hand.
『Hey, hey, what are you doing? 』 Kumagawa suddenly cut in.
"What?"
Ryuen glanced at him.
『No matter what you do, with a method like that, there's no way the traitor would willingly reveal themselves. What kind of idiot would throw themselves away like that? 』
"Tsk." Ryuen clicked his tongue instead of replying, seemingly irritated that Kumagawa had pointed out the flaw in his forceful method.
『We're gathered here today to find the culprit. 』
Kumagawa began speaking.
Even though he was from another class, he naturally inserted himself into the scene as if he were one of Class B's members, ignoring the dumbfounded stares he had been receiving from the start.
It was a completely bizarre situation.
『Understand that no one will be allowed to leave this classroom until we find the culprit, or the culprit steps forward. 』
"Ha ha ha ha hahahaha."
Hearing that, Ryuen burst into loud laughter.
But the atmosphere only grew more tense.
Normally, Kumagawa's voice was too irritating to have this kind of effect, no matter how harsh the words were. But even his annoying voice couldn't soften the nerve-wracking meaning behind them. There was also the fact that Ryuen, their tyrant, seemed to share the same opinion. That meant they truly would not be allowed to leave until the traitor was found or confessed.
『But before we begin, instead of finding the traitor, we need to know who isn't the traitor. Raise your hand if you're not the traitor.』 Kumagawa requested it casually.
And they did raise their hands, though several lowered them before Kumagawa could count anything. But there was no need to count in the first place, since everyone in the class had raised a hand, which was hardly surprising.
『Ahaha, since this feels like a murder mystery, I wanted to try saying something like that for once. Doing logical deduction and all that. After all, I'm a fan of mystery novels, even though I've never read one. 』
"...."
『Hah... it was truly satisfying to say that. I'm very proud that I managed to say it in this situation.』
"So? How exactly do you plan to find the culprit?"
Ryuen asked him.
That was the only reason he had tolerated Kumagawa staying here despite his absurd excuse of being the student council vice president.
『I don't know. 』
"Hah?"
This time, it was Ibuki who reacted.
『I mean, I only just learned you even had a traitor. I don't know what you expect from me. In the first place, I'm not even from this class, so why are your expectations so high? 』
"Just as I thought. Since you're nothing but a useless annoyance, get lost."
In the first place, Kumagawa had no real use here.
So Ryuen immediately tried to send him out.
『Ahaha, kicked out so heartlessly? You really have no sense of humor, Ryuen-chan. But fine, I know when my presence is a little too gloomy for such a dreary room. 』
Kumagawa gave a light shrug, his expression so cheerful that one would think he had just been praised instead of thrown out. He began strolling toward the door with airy nonchalance, but paused for a moment beside Hiyori's desk.
『Sorry about this, Hiyori-chan. It seems the atmosphere here is far too gloomy for our promise. Which is why I'll look forward to our next meeting in a more civilized place, okay? Bye bye. 』
He gave an exaggerated wave to the entire class, Ryuen included, before finally disappearing behind the sliding door.
"Now that nuisance is gone, as for the traitor..."
Ryuen immediately returned to the main topic as though Kumagawa's presence, and the bizarre scene from earlier, had never happened.
No one wanted to mention it either, fearing Ryuen's wrath.
"I'm going to ask the spy to show himself again."
Ryuen looked at each person in the class, carefully studying their reactions.
"Are you afraid of this mysterious X? Or are you afraid of me? Which one should you truly fear? Are you sure you're not making a huge mistake?" His lips curled into a smile, "Remember what happened after the entrance ceremony? You all saw the fate of those who opposed me. Right, Ishizaki?"
"Y-yes..."
Ishizaki, Ibuki, and Albert had all resisted Ryuen at first.
In fact, Ishizaki had been in more fights than Ryuen. Ibuki had martial arts training, and Albert's physique far surpassed his. Yet in the end, the violence Ryuen wielded had forced all of them to kneel.
"Violence is the strongest force in the world. I won't yield to authority. Even if the school decides to expel me, I'll kill the traitor before they throw me out. Do you understand? If I end up expelled because of this, I'll stomp the life out of the spy like crushing a bug."
Ryuen stepped down from the podium and slowly looked over every one of his classmates.
Rather than speaking to anyone in particular, it felt as though his words were aimed at everyone.
"Do you understand what it means to make me angry?"
He stared into their eyes one by one.
Even if the method was questionable, just as Kumagawa had pointed out, for someone who used violence as a weapon, this was the easiest way for him to uncover the traitor. Ryuen then stopped beside a female student, standing directly in front of her.
Of course, it was not random, he had been targeting her from the beginning.
"What's wrong? Can't look me in the eye?"
"Ah... ah... I..." Her breathing was uneven. She looked so terrified that she seemed close to tears.
"Heh. It's you, isn't it, Manabe? You're the traitor."
Most of the students were left speechless.
"Don't be afraid, Manabe. Even though you didn't step forward and confess, I knew from the start that you were the spy." He smirked. "You looked sick. It was written all over your face. There was no way you could hide it."
Ryuen brushed aside Manabe's hair and lightly touched her cheek which made Manabe tremble in fear.
"I-I'm... I'm sorry. I-I..."
"Don't worry. I forgive you. I'll handle this with tolerance and generosity. So tell me everything. Tell me who this X really is."
Ryuen then turned from Manabe and fixed his sharp gaze on her friends, Yabu Nanami and Yamashita Saki.
『』『』『』『』『』
After Ryuen finished grilling everyone, he released Class B and cleared the classroom. Only Ryuen himself, Ishizaki, Kaneda, Ibuki, who made up his inner circle, and the three spies remained.
"So? Why would you even let Kumagawa know about our situation?"
Ibuki was the first to ask the question that had been on everyone's mind for a while.
It was unusual for Ryuen to act like that, especially allowing someone from another class to learn about their issue with a traitor. On top of that, he had allowed Kumagawa in, someone Ryuen himself had once warned the class to always be careful of.
"I just want to test him, that's all."
"Test?" Ibuki tilted her head.
Rather than answering her question, his reply only gave her even more questions.
"That's right. I just wanted to know how much he knew, and how much he was involved."
"Involved... You mean with what happened with Kushida and Horikita?" Ibuki asked once more.
Ryuen nodded in response.
It was a known fact that Kushida had betrayed her class and was working with them. But even if it was known, it was only known within Ryuen's inner circle, which consisted of the people in this room, excluding the traitors.
"Were you trying to confirm if he was X?" Ibuki thought that was what Ryuen had been after, and she was correct.
"That's right. But apparently, he's not involved at all. Though he knew something about the plan, as far as I can tell, he didn't do anything during the festival."
Ryuen had reached that conclusion after their strange exchange earlier.
Though he had already received some confirmation from Kushida about Kumagawa's lack of involvement, he wasn't willing to trust her completely until he confirmed it himself. Still, Kumagawa was clearly in the loop regarding Kushida, which meant he knew at least something about Ryuen's involvement as well.
But it truly seemed that he only knew about it and had no direct involvement.
Ryuen then turned toward the traitors.
"Do you know who gave you the instructions?"
Manabe and her friends denied it.
"Then why would you even betray our class?"
This time, it was Ibuki who questioned them.
But before they could answer, Ryuen answered for them.
"It was obvious they were threatened."
"Threatened? By who?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out as well."
"Wait, wait, wait. How do you know they were threatened?"
But instead of answering Ibuki's question, Ryuen walked closer to Manabe and once again reached out, slowly touching her cheek as he gently caressed it. It was a soft gesture, but to Manabe, all she felt was fear from the magenta-haired boy's actions.
"Why don't you tell Ibuki about the stupid thing you did on the cruise ship, Manabe."
"That's-"
"There's no point in hiding. I already know everything. But if you choose to stay silent now, then tomorrow I won't treat you as classmates anymore. You'll all be treated like worms, forever."
It was a gesture meant to reaffirm his absolute dominance over the class.
Hearing that, Manabe trembled. She had no way to defy him. So she opened her mouth.
"Do... do you know a girl named Karuizawa Kei from Class D?"
"Karuizawa?" Ibuki tilted her head. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't match it to a face.
"It's Hirata's girl. The one with blonde hair," Ryuen reminded her.
Hearing that, Ibuki finally remember.
"What about her?"
"She, um... well, she acts tough, but... it seems she was bullied in the past."
"Bullied?"
"Well, Karuizawa treated Rika horribly, so we thought we'd get some payback..."
Manabe explained everything that had happened on the cruise ship. She told them the truth, including how they ended up in the same group as Karuizawa, her past, and what they had done to her.
She also admitted that she started spying because someone had threatened to expose her and her friends. If the truth came out, they would be suspended or worse. Naturally, they had already received a harsh warning from Ryuen before, but as long as no one else found out, it hadn't been a problem.
But now, that was no longer the case.
"Kuku, sounds like she had quite the rough time," Ryuen laughed.
"The heck? Why are you laughing? Are you stupid?" Ibuki snapped. "If they're being threatened by someone they don't know, things might get worse."
"Come on, Ibuki. When people are cornered, they become weak creatures." Ryuen didn't scold the spies any further. "Here's the important part. Was anyone else there when you were bullying Karuizawa?"
Manabe and her friends nodded. "At the time, Yukimura-kun and Ayanokouji-kun from Class D saw us."
They were able to provide two names
"Someone sent us a picture afterward. It was a photo of us with Karuizawa."
"I see," Ryuen nodded. "I expected there was some kind of blackmail. So someone took your picture. Where is it?"
"I-I deleted it. If someone saw it, then we..."
"I understand."
"So that means it's either Yukimura-shi or Ayanokouji-shi, right?" said Kaneda, who had been quietly listening. He was one of the few people Ryuen considered useful in his class and had been included in his inner circle not long ago.
"Hold on, Ryuen. I don't know much about this Yukimura guy, but I can't imagine Ayanokouji being the one behind this. Can you? I've met him, and he doesn't seem like that type," Ibuki added.
"Well, Yukimura does look a little suspicious. He seems pretty smart," Ishizaki said, trying to contribute.
"Can we really say that? Ayanokouji-shi is always with Horikita-shi, isn't he? And he hid his athletic ability until the sports festival. I think he's more suspicious," said Kaneda.
"I think they're both irrelevant. Ayanokouji is just quick on his feet, and Yukimura is only good at studying. A mastermind would need more than that."
"Then who else could it be?"
Ryuen wore a thin smile while his classmates continued talking. Then-
SLAM!
He pounded his fist against the podium.
"Shut up."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Did I ask for your opinions? I'll find Class D's puppet master. You're nothing more than my pawns. Besides, I already have someone in mind, but I'm not completely sure. That's why I'm holding back until I confirm who this X really is."
"Then stop beating around the bush and tell us what you know," Ibuki said, already on edge because of the traitor situation.
Ryuen grabbed a marker from the podium and began writing on the board.
"Right now, the facts say that only Yukimura or Ayanokouji could have taken that picture. But now that X knows about Karuizawa's past, it means X is in close contact with her. Most likely, he's trying to use her, since he didn't report Manabe's bullying to the school right away."
Hearing Ryuen's deduction, most of the people in the classroom nodded in understanding.
"Which brings me to something interesting." Ryuen turned to his inner circle. "Kumagawa told me that someone is interested in Suzune's growth. That means this X is actively helping her and watching her develop. In other words, X is someone close to Suzune, or at least someone who maintains regular contact with her."
Two names appeared on the board.
Horikita Suzune and Karuizawa Kei.
"That means X must meet two conditions. X has to be close to Suzune while trying to protect her, and at the same time be close to Karuizawa. Those are the requirements. I have a few candidates in mind, but they might just be pawns acting under someone else."
That was where things became complicated. One of them, or perhaps both, could have taken the picture and then reported it to the real mastermind for instructions.
Someone close to Horikita while also connected to Karuizawa.
Honestly, someone like that didn't seem to exist in Class D, at least as far as Ryuen knew. Horikita wasn't the type to build those kinds of connections. But if he separated the conditions, two names came to mind.
"But, Ryuen-shi, shouldn't we be especially suspicious of Ayanokouji-shi? Even if he's not close to Karuizawa-shi, he's close to Horikita-shi, and he witnessed Manabe-shi bullying Karuizawa-shi. That's suspicious, isn't it?" Kaneda said, prepared to face Ryuen's anger.
"I agree," Ryuen replied.
When it came to Ayanokouji, something had felt off from the start, mainly because of his connection to Horikita. However, if Ayanokouji were the mastermind and had been close to her from the beginning, he wouldn't have allowed her to get hurt like that.
"So, you're saying that the real mastermind's hiding right under our noses? I find that hard to swallow." Ibuki said.
The situation felt hopeless.
"How about we try using him?"
Ryuen then pulled out his phone.
They had come this far. It only made sense to push forward. Ryuen made his next move and sent a text message.
『』『』『』『』『』
"I've been waiting forever. You're quite late, aren't you?"
Waiting in front of the main school building, Kushida leaned against the wall while playing with her phone.
『Sorry about that, it took longer than I expected. 』 Kumagawa replied casually.
"So, how did it go?"
『Huh? About what? 』
"You tell me. Didn't you say you wanted to visit Ryuen-kun's class to confirm something?"
『Haha, are you really that interested? 』
Kushida nodded.
Seeing Kumagawa act on his own like this, without needing any kind of incentive from her (her body as a reward), made Kushida curious about what he was trying to do. That was why she had waited for him here.
『There's nothing interesting about it... I'm sure you can guess how things turn out when a group of amateurs try to point out a culprit. 』
"Culprit...? What are you- Ah, you mean Manabe-san?"
Hearing the word culprit confused Kushida for a moment, but she quickly understood after recalling what had happened to Ryuen and why his plan had failed that day. So that meant Ryuen had already started searching for the traitor within his class.
"So, does Ryuen-kun know about Ayanokouji-kun?"
Since she knew Ayanokouji was the only one connected to Manabe because of what happened on the cruise ship, it was obvious to her that he was the one who ruined Ryuen's plan. Still, Ryuen had no clear way of confirming that.
『Hahaha. Should I? Should I tell you? I won't not tell you if you show me your panties, Kushida-chan. 』
"What an amazingly blunt demand..."
You don't see characters like that these days.
『Well, sure. I already have a general idea of what your panties look like, anyway, so I may as well move the conversation along. Besides, if I actually got to see them, I'd probably forget who Ryuen even is. 』
He was saying things that Kushida no longer had any idea how to respond to, or how to even react to.
『Anyway, regarding that... who was it again? Honestly, thinking about your panties made me completely forget who we were even talking about. 』
"It's Ryuen-kun..."
『Yeah, yeah, that Ryuen guy. Whether he knows Ayanokouji-kun is the mastermind or not is up to him. As long as he can gather enough information and use the elimination people process, he should be able to find the real mastermind. 』
"You mean the 'process of elimination,' right?"
What on earth was "elimination people"?
It sounds less like a strategy and more like he's expecting Ryuen to start piling up bodies.
"But what are you even planning by checking on Ryuen-kun's class?" Kushida asked.
Since he had gone out of his way to visit Ryuen's class, he had to have some kind of intention, either toward Ryuen himself or someone in that class. But since she had no idea, she decided it was better to just ask instead of guessing.
『Hmm... I don't know? 』
"Hah?"
『Well, to be exact, I'm still not sure what to do with Ryuen-chan's class at this point. With how the exam is structured, it should be obvious that Class D would target Class B, right? I'm sure Horikita-chan or Hirata-kun mentioned that during your discussion earlier, didn't they? 』
"That's... right."
Kushida was a little surprised by his sudden logical reasoning, even though everything about him is nothing but illogical.
『But even if we target Class B, it's not like Class B would target us back, right? That's why I said I'm not sure how to deal with Ryuen-chan. 』 He paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words. 『What I'm trying to do is understand the feel of that classroom. You could say I'm trying to become part of Class B, just for a moment.』
"....?"
Of course, Kushida didn't understand what he meant by "understanding the feel." Even less so did she understand what he meant by "trying to become a part of Class B."
Was he trying to transfer classes?
Was that what he meant?
"Forget about the 'feel' part for now, since I don't get it. But are you saying you understand the 'feel' of Class A and C too?" Kushida asked, trying to put her confusion into words as clearly as possible.
At the very least, she wanted something she could understand.
『It's more like they each have a distinct personality? I'm trying to grasp something abstract like that about each class. You could say it's my specialty, figuring out vague things like that.』
"Ah, you mean like how Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato have different flavors even though they're both chocolate? Is that what you mean?"
『Haha, that's not a bad comparison. Every class has its own "flavor." Sakayanagi-chan's Class A feels like the final boss of a cancelled manga, and Ichinose-chan's class is the very definition of a shounen slogan. 』
"..."
She still didn't understand what he was talking about.
Well, to be fair, he had a strange sensitivity toward obscure information and useless knowledge, so even if his words sounded like nonsense to her, they clearly meant something to him.
Even if she couldn't understand it.
As they talked, they walked back toward the student dorm. Many students had already returned or gone elsewhere, so the path back was unusually quiet for the two of them. While Kushida was used to having a group of friends to talk to when she returned, a quiet atmosphere like this wasn't so bad once in a while.
Of course, it would be better without the constant harassment, but there wasn't much she could do about that.
『Hmm? Isn't that Ayanokouji-kun? 』 Kumagawa suddenly said.
"Ayanokouji-kun? Where?"
Hearing that, Kushida looked around and soon found him sitting alone on a bench in front of the dorms, staring at his phone.
『Heya, Ayanokouji-kun. 』 Kumagawa greeted him from a distance as he slowly walked over.
Kushida followed behind him, greeting him in a similarly cheerful tone, though far less irritating.
"Kushida and... Kumagawa, huh."
Kushida noticed something slightly off about his expression.
Even though she called it strange, it was only a faint impression. His face hadn't changed much to begin with. Still, she felt like something about him was different. Despite his usual monotone expression, there was something off.
『It's Mister Kumagawa, your best friend who knows your secret! Looks like things haven't been going too well for you, huh? 』
"....."
Watching the two from slightly behind, Kushida felt it again.
Without any clear change in expression, Ayanokouji seemed... displeased?
Was what Kumagawa said enough to make him feel that way? If anything, shouldn't she be the one feeling that, considering he was the one who ruined her plan with Horikita?
『Anyway, what are you doing here all alone? Did you get confessed to again? Did you reject that poor girl and now regret it? 』
"Has Satou's confession already spread that much?" Ayanokouji let out a small sigh, looking slightly exasperated.
『Well, at the very least it's something that everyone in class D already know...? is that right, Kushida-chan? 』
"I wonder," she said with a tilt of her head. "Most of the girls have heard by now, but I'm not so sure about the boys. I made sure to tell Kumagawa-kun myself, but I haven't mentioned it to people like Ike-kun or Yamauchi-kun yet."
It had already become a hot topic among the girls. Aside from Karuizawa and Hirata, no one else was in a relationship, so Satou's confession had drawn a lot of attention. The girls had supported her for having the courage to confess.
At the same time, it had become a form of entertainment for them as well.
"Is that something you really have to tell everyone though...? Isn't this kind of gossip supposed to stay within the girls' circle?"
"Hahaha, I'm sorry about that, Ayanokouji-kun. You could call it a girl's instinct. And you know, it's not like I can just hold that back, right? It just happened to slip out that day, so I'm sorry."
Hearing that, Ayanokouji couldn't help but feel at a loss.
Now it seemed that Satou's confession was going to become an even bigger topic.
His friends were already starting to avoid him because of his abilities, and now even more people might distance themselves just because a girl had confessed to him. The quiet, carefully maintained normal life he had built was slowly starting to fall apart.
"In that case, can you not spread that anymore? It'd be bad if a lot of the boys start hating me," Ayanokouji said.
"My lips are sealed. But I can't say the same for the others. A lot of them have loose tongues when it comes to gossip like this."
"...."
『Speaking of confessions, Ayanokouji-kun, are you really waiting for another one to come your way? Is that why you're sitting here alone? 』
Kumagawa brought the topic back again.
"Do you really think I'd go around waiting for confessions?" Ayanokouji replied.
『I do. You should try walking around the school and look for one.』
"....."
Why did he make it sound like a confession was something you could just pick up from a convenience store?
"I'm just waiting for someone to talk about next week's exam."
『Next week's exam? 』
"That's right. Though it's more of an order than my own initiative."
With a sidelong glance at Kumagawa, who wore his usual dubious smile, Ayanokouji began to measure the time remaining until sundown-right now, it was just past 4 p.m., so there should be less than an hour of daylight left.
Ayanokouji wondered if he would be able to find him.
『Oh well, 』 Kumagawa said. 『Talking about exams when the day's already ending. I can't say I understand your thinking, Ayanokouji-kun, but you should enjoy your school life more, you know? 』
"....."
After saying that, Kumagawa simply walked past him and headed toward the dorm. Kushida followed after him, only glancing back at Ayanokouji for a moment before giving a quick farewell.
"What was that about?" Kushida asked as she caught up to him. "Have Ayanokouji-kun and Horikita-san already started planning for the exam?"
Even though she had joined their discussion, what they talked about was only the general direction of the class. As for the details, since Horikita was the leader, she probably wouldn't share them with her after everything that had happened.
So she might have used Ayanokouji for something earlier.
『Probably? 』
"In that case, shouldn't you start preparing too? Or are you planning to get expelled? Maybe study a little?"
『Well, I hate things like that. studying, planning for the future... I hate all of it. Not knowing what kind of obstacle will appear is what makes life dull, right?』
What was he even saying?
Wasn't it strange for a high school student, whose role was to study and think about the future, to hate both studying and planning ahead?
Besides, weren't people supposed to end sentences like that with, '...that's what makes life interesting, right?', was what she thought, but perhaps for Kumagawa, boring things were actually what were more interesting.
He only felt a sense of satisfaction upon breaking the cartridge of a game he couldn't clear into pieces, and was elated by smashing the controller into the TV screen-that was the high school first-year known as Kumagawa Misogi.
『C'mon, why are you getting so serious? Isn't that why people say you shouldn't overthink things? You should relax and enjoy it. Even if things aren't in your favor, even if things don't go as planned, even if you lose, you should still enjoy everything, Kushida-chan. 』
"....Alright."
What a selfish boy.
In the end, even if he had some motivation to avoid expulsion, it didn't mean he cared about the exam itself. In fact, since he had enough private points, he could fail on purpose, let two students including himself get expelled, and simply buy his way back with the twenty million points he had.
For someone like him, that was completely possible.
But didn't that feel like a waste?
Those points would lose their meaning if used like that.
But well...
Whatever happens, happens.
『END』
『』『』『』『』『』
Here you go peasants.
Anyway, that's it for today's chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it.
[Thanks for reading!]