Chapter 237 Ryuen Kakeru Publicly Humiliated / Shimizu Akira Famous Once Again
So, the person who originally leaked the information to Class A and Class B was Shimizu Akira all along!
What was his motive? It was nothing other than a "total sweep"!
If he hadn't proactively leaked the rule that "leaders can be changed," the other classes would likely have stuck with their original leaders and wouldn't have moved easily. In that case, Shimizu would have had no opportunity to uncover the identity of the other classes' leaders.
But once the information leaked, everyone immediately realized that "temporarily changing the leader is more advantageous."
Naturally, everyone chose to cluster at the beach on the last day—the seventh day—to complete the change process. After all, even Ryuen Kakeru's original plan was to have Class C check in at as many spots as possible to hoard points; on the sixth day, he almost clashed with other classes over the ownership of a spot.
While everyone was busy scrambling for points, it gave Shimizu Akira the perfect opportunity. He could record the latest information on every class's leader change at the same time and the same place into that voice recorder.
'How can this guy lie in wait even better than me?!'
At this stage, was there any way to counter him? Heh, none at all. Since it was already past 8:00 AM, all classes had completely lost the authority to change their leaders. They could only watch helplessly as Shimizu Akira held the key evidence, devoid of any power to resist. The content of that voice recorder was ironclad proof that allowed for no rebuttal.
Even if Ryuen were given a chance to start over, could he have noticed this in advance? The answer was still no. Shimizu had hidden the recorder in the most inconspicuous plastic bag. The table legs were wrapped in plastic, and since it rained so hard yesterday, anyone would assume it was a preparation to prevent slipping.
Embarrassing! Too embarrassing!
Ryuen felt his face burning!
This was beyond simple humiliation; he was being slapped hard in the face in front of everyone from all four classes!
He had previously mocked Shimizu for being a "nice guy" doing useless work, but the man had laid his trap long ago.
Not only did he use helping the staff as an excuse to get close, but Ryuen now belatedly wondered: 'Could this guy have been building a relationship with the staff since the very first day of the exam?'
The day before, he thought Shimizu was just a muscle-bound oaf, but now, the guy had played all four classes—including Class C—like fiddles single-handedly. There was no one to complain to.
Ryuen glanced at the Class D students and saw that most of them, like himself, had faces filled with shock and disbelief.
'This jerk even lied to his own class!'
Horikita Suzune was likely the first in Class D to snap out of it. She blinked. She felt that her "sophisticated" deduction on the fifth day was like playing house compared to Shimizu's plan—there was no comparison. Shimizu had hard evidence on the identities of three class leaders; meanwhile, her side had been caught off guard by Shiina Hiyori's sudden intervention at the end.
She opened her mouth to ask a question, but Shimizu beat her to it.
"The plan was conceived starting the second night. The voice recorder was bought from Class B. As for how I knew it would rain, I naturally have my information sources," Shimizu said calmly, deconstructing the key points.
"The working hours and patterns of the staff on the beach, the placement of the small table, the various tools on the table, and the rules of the seventh day—I had them all figured out clearly, which allowed me to deploy all my actions in advance."
Otherwise, why did he keep running to the beach? It wasn't just for exercise—building a rapport with those staff members was the real key. Because of that, he was able to smoothly hide the recorder in the plastic bag on the table leg on the sixth day. Otherwise, why would a school staff member let a strange student "help" if they didn't know him?
"Hahaha! I told you, Shimizu-kun has always been exceptionally friendly to us!"
"So he was paving the way for today's recorder since then! Haha, this is the first time we've seen such an interesting student! This truly is a brilliant move, spectacular!"
The staff members nearby, upon hearing the explanation, showed expressions of realization and nodded in agreement one after another.
Ryuen pointed at the two staff members.
"You two? You aren't angry at all?! Wait—do the rules allow students to secretly place voice recorders near this table?"
'How is this possible? They've been played this much and they can still laugh?'
"Shimizu-kun greets us every morning when he runs, sometimes brings fruit, and lends a hand with supplies when we're overwhelmed. Besides, his Class D reports everything all at once when ordering items, saving us so much trouble. Why should I be angry?" the man who had installed the temporary toilet for Class D argued righteously.
"This table belongs to us; we can put whatever we want on it. The manual given to the classes doesn't say things can't be placed here, so naturally, it's allowed. Ultimately, you still don't understand what this school is trying to teach you—in society, there is no such thing as kindness without cause; it's all interaction with a purpose. Otherwise, did you really think a pie would just fall from the sky and hit you on the head?"
"I'm a student, not your colleague!" Ryuen was rendered speechless and glared at the man.
Fine, Shimizu Akira was good! To build a relationship, he could lay the groundwork for so long! And this staff member, talking in riddles—in Ryuen's view, Shimizu clearly had impure motives, but these men thought otherwise. It was hard to understand.
However, the people in Class B were focused on a different issue.
"Shimizu-kun's voice recorder was actually bought from our class?!"
"I remember now! It seemed to be one of the exchange conditions for the hunting earlier!"
"But then again, laying the plan since the second day? Specially running to the beach to show his face—this execution is just too exaggerated!"
Ichinose Honami's mood was complicated to the extreme.
That crucial recorder in his hand was something she had personally given to him.
What was this? Lifting a stone only to drop it on her own foot. Yet, the plan was so thorough and interconnected that it was almost flawless. She knew clearly that her class would be guessed by Class D and lose 50 Special Exam Points, but she couldn't help but feel that his intellect overshadowed everyone else's, and she felt a genuine admiration for his plan. That is human nature.
"Shimizu Akira! Fine! Your plan on the island was indeed seamless!" Ryuen suddenly grinned, his tone carrying unabashed excitement.
"I admit it! You, Shimizu Akira, are qualified to be my rival!"
Since things had reached this point, Ryuen admitted he had completely lost to Shimizu on the island. From now on, Shimizu was solidified as the number one rival in Ryuen's heart.
As a side note, Sakayanagi Arisu of Year 1 Class A could only rank second; as for Horikita Suzune—she was barely a third-rate rival. He didn't even consider Ichinose or Katsuragi worth mentioning.
Shimizu just twitched the corner of his mouth. Is this guy a bit of an 'edgelord'? What does 'qualified to be a rival' even mean? Was Ryuen actually strong? His goal from start to finish was just to earn points. He never once considered the other man a "rival."
"I don't need your acknowledgment, and I never planned on treating you as a rival," he replied flatly. There was no need to be polite with someone like Ryuen. When he hadn't revealed the
recorder earlier, Ryuen was acting arrogant; he had to take the chance to pay him back and let him taste frustration.
Sure enough, the smile on Ryuen's face froze, and his expression visibly darkened.
'How can this guy be so biting? He's relatively mild when talking to others, but so merciless to me!' Not considering him a rival? How was that different from looking down on him!
He still had a grudge. His "Zero-Point Plan" was indeed inferior to Shimizu's recorder checkmate—he admitted that. He was won over fairly. But compared to the mediocre leaders of the other classes, wasn't he, Ryuen Kakeru, significantly stronger?
"Based on the positions of Class C and Class D, rest assured that Class D will definitely enter the Class C leader's name during the guessing phase. Ryuen, you really worked hard checking in all these days," Shimizu casually informed him of the obvious.
"Hahaha! Ryuen! Have you been unable to eat or sleep well in the woods these past few days, busy checking in with all your heart, hoping to save up a bunch of extra points? And the result? It's completely useless!"
"This guy threatened me on the sixth day, saying if I didn't hand over a spot, someone would target me during this exam. Think about how hard he worked to snatch those spots—it's hilarious."
"Are you wishing you could slap your past self right now? Ryuen Kakeru, you really worked hard. Pity, all that effort was in vain; it was nothing but wasted work."
Once the words were out, members of other classes didn't miss the chance to mock him and chimed in. Ryuen's face was as ugly as it could be, clearly stung.
Wasn't it true? Yesterday, he didn't know what he was thinking—perhaps because the Class Point gap between C and D wasn't large, and with all four classes exposed, he naively thought prioritizing more spots was key.
He nearly came to blows with other classes for that spot on the high ground. But looking back, those check-ins were a waste! After all, as long as the leader was guessed, all previous efforts resulted in zero points, without a single bonus point!
"Don't you talk as if you're any better! I was played by Shimizu, but weren't you? Katsuragi Kohei, if I remember correctly, you occupied two spots in this exam—one was the cave, the other the shack near the cliff! You even snatched the high ground once on the sixth day! By that count, Class A's bonus points were at least 45, but at this moment, they're meaningless. You should think about how to explain this to that 'Little Princess' once the exam ends!"
Ryuen knew he couldn't out-argue Shimizu and didn't want to humiliate himself further. Although he admitted defeat this time, he thought: 'Who does Katsuragi think he is to mock me? I can't beat Shimizu, but I can't beat a bald guy like you?'
"Hmph! Mind your own business!" Now it was Katsuragi Kohei's turn to wear the mask of pain.
'Sigh...'
He sighed deeply in his heart. Currently, Class A's Special Exam Points looked the highest at 220—but only he knew the deficits hidden behind that number. Sakayanagi's early withdrawal cost 30 points, and Hashimoto Masayoshi intentionally touching a spot cost another 50. More fatally, they signed that damned contract with Ryuen: from now on every month, everyone in the class except Sakayanagi had to forcibly transfer 20,000 Private Points to Ryuen.
Now, calculating the 50-point deduction for this exam and the fact that all bonus points for spots were void... this trip wasn't about earning points; they hadn't gained a single one and had to pay Ryuen back. Oh, right, and the 500,000 owed to Shimizu.
But what was the use of saying this now? Even if Shimizu hadn't produced the recorder, their leader's info had already been leaked by Hashimoto. Thinking this, Katsuragi felt a bit of helpless self-comfort—better that Shimizu gets the benefit than Ryuen; at least the former wasn't as loathsome to look at.
Nearby, the Class A students finally realized the situation, their faces filled with regret.
"We really got played by that Shimizu from Class D! Why was such a powerful person assigned to Class D? Shouldn't he be Class A talent?"
"Sigh, we can't just give up those 40-plus spot points!"
"Ultimately, it's all Katsuragi Kohei's responsibility! As expected, your Katsuragi faction can't be relied on! If Sakayanagi-san were here, how could we be pushed to this point? We could have surely fought to a draw with this Shimizu!"
Katsuragi was the leader of the group. Seeing this, members of the Sakayanagi faction began to complain. If their own leader had been present, things wouldn't have reached this state.
"Heh, you're dreaming. Even if that woman came, she couldn't outplay Shimizu. Don't you see? This guy is so calculating, he laid the whole trap early. Who could fight him? Does he even look like a high schooler?"
Kamuro Masumi retorted irritably from the crowd. To be honest, Shimizu had surprised her today—he had already made 500,000 points from the camera, and now he had played everyone without a sound.
As for Sakayanagi turning the tide? She thought that sounded like a joke. A woman played by that man on the first day of school would only lose again if she came; she'd just be a laughingstock.
But then again, while it was a fact Class A was outplayed, she was actually quite happy for Shimizu. After this, everyone in the four classes would probably see him as a must-recruit character! Plus, that boxing match in June. This is what it means to be a master of both the pen and the sword!
She scanned the crowd and noticed Shiroishi Asuka, whom she'd met in the tent, was also there. Asuka's gaze was particularly fixed on Class D—specifically, on a male student she wasn't very familiar with... called Himekouji or something. Kamuro didn't think more of it; she had no interaction with the rest of Class D anyway.
"At this point, we can only cooperate with Shimizu, right?"
"Yes, if we want him not to guess our leader, there will be a price. But if we can buy info on classes other than A and D, we can at least get 100 points. That doesn't hurt Class D and is a favor to us."
"Also! If he reveals our leader's identity, we'll be deducted 150 points! This must be avoided!" "Dammit, in this exam, Shimizu Akira held the initiative all by himself! One person played 119 of us!"
In the hearts of the Class A elite, there was more resentment than admiration. They were supposed to be the most outstanding in the school, yet they were toyed with by someone from Class D and even had to lower themselves to ask him for help. Just thinking about it made them grit their teeth in anger.
"By the way, why haven't you left yet? Since you've withdrawn, don't stay on the island in the way; after all, no one here likes you very much." Shimizu looked at Ryuen, who remained on the spot, and spoke bluntly.
"Heh, Shimizu Akira, is it? I, Ryuen Kakeru, will really remember you this time," Ryuen said with great resentment. The school had already clearly notified him that after withdrawing, he only had about an hour to pack and leave. He checked the time on his wrist—it was 8:30 AM; it was time to move.
But as if suddenly remembering something, he shouted to the crowd: "Horikita Suzune, Totsuka Yahiko, Shibata So—you three original leaders, what are you standing there for? Your time is probably running out too, isn't it?"
Students from several classes were stunned and began whispering.
"This guy! He actually guessed our Class B leader correctly!"
"He had planted spies long ago; our Class A person was also guessed."
"Same with Class D! Although he's usually arrogant, one has to admit Ryuen has a brain. If Class D's Shimizu hadn't stepped in, the leaders of the other three classes probably would have all been guessed by him."
In truth, the reason Ryuen became a background character in front of the four classes wasn't because he wasn't smart enough. In fact, his series of operations in the exam was quite calculated and strategic. It was just that the opponent he met this time was too strong.
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In the end, Ryuen Kakeru left the island in dejection. Not long after, Totsuka Yahiko and Shibata Souta followed—the former cursed Ryuen non-stop as he walked, full of defiance; the latter was strangely silent, giving one last look at Shimizu before leaving, his resentment nearly overflowing.
None of this affected Shimizu's good mood. Since arriving on the island, today was definitely his most pleasant day. After all, before long, the other three classes would probably have to hand over points to him obediently. It really was like the saying: human joy and sorrow are not shared.
There was a small interlude: before Horikita Suzune left the field, she couldn't help but peek at Shimizu several times. Her expression was complex—there was admiration, but also a hint of resentment; it was full of resentment, but also a trace of unspeakable recognition. In short, the usually cold girl's emotions were visibly more vivid now.
When the scene quieted down, Shimizu casually asked: "How many Special Exam Points does our class have left?"
Someone in the class took up the question—it was Kushida Kikyo. She calculated carefully and replied with a smile: "At the end of the fifth day, there were 176 points. In the last two days, we ordered two basic meal sets, totaling 12 points; Horikita's withdrawal cost 30 points; luckily, occupying spots added 20. So, it's exactly 154 points."
"Wait! 154 points! Plus the reward for guessing three class leaders, won't Class D increase by nearly 300 points in one go?" someone realized, their voice full of surprise.
"This is all thanks to Shimizu-kun! I think it's more appropriate for him to be the class representative!" someone else added immediately.
Shimizu looked up; the speaker was Matsushita Chiaki. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
'This student really wants to push me into the representative position at every opportunity.' Hirata was still in office; what was she thinking?
"Shimizu-kun is actually better at acting alone! Like this time, if he hadn't laid the trap solo, he wouldn't have been able to trick everyone so smoothly!" Kushida Kikyo took over, adding with a smile.
"By the way, I should tell everyone an important thing. This operation couldn't have gone so smoothly without Kushida-san's help," Shimizu said with a serious face.
"If she hadn't helped me leak the 'leaders can be changed' info to Class A and B, I wouldn't have been able to get the key info of all three classes at once with the recorder."
One can't skip the "award speech" part. On the sixth day, he had proactively sought out Kushida to ask for her help.
"So that's how it was! Kushida-san achieved such a great feat for Class D just like Shimizu-kun!"
"Yes, yes! Actually, I secretly suspected someone in the class yesterday, worrying they might sell us out for personal gain... looks like I overthought it!"
"Thank you, Kushida-san!"
The Class D students turned to Kushida, praising her one after another.
"Not at all, I just did what I should have done!" Kushida waved her hands, a shy and happy smile on her face.
Seeing this, Shimizu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Since Horikita caught the spy on the fifth day, Kushida's mood hadn't been great. Most likely, she felt her popularity was being overshadowed by Horikita. So, he purposely mentioned her contribution in front of everyone to help her regain some attention; after all, she loved being praised.
But then, Shimizu felt a bit helpless.
'Why am I always thinking about this groundwork? Am I being too paranoid?'
He had always been a bit worried about Kushida.
Her hostility toward Horikita seemed increasingly obvious, even to the point of wanting to push Horikita out of the class. During this exam, he had worried she might intentionally leak information to sabotage Horikita, even if it hurt Class D. Luckily, she didn't. He had probably overthought it. No matter how much she targeted Horikita, she wouldn't gamble with the class's interests and commit betrayal.
It wasn't that Shimizu found betrayal inherently unforgivable; he was just worried that if it were exposed, it would be a fatal blow to Kushida. She cared most about others' attention; from the first day on the bus, she always wanted to be the center of the crowd. If she got a reputation for betraying the class, her accumulated goodwill would collapse instantly, which would be harder for her to bear than anything else.
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Nine o'clock soon arrived. After a brief discussion, not only Class A, but Class B and C also realized a cruel fact. Now, Classes A, B, and C knew nothing about each other's leaders, but Shimizu Akira of Class D knew them all. The voice recorder was the proof; its contents could determine the leader identities with 100% certainty.
Unlike the three classes who could only passively accept their scores, Shimizu held countless options: he could directly guess the three leaders to get 150 points for Class D; he could sell the info of any class to another; he could even target a specific class and publicize their info... In short, the final score of the exam depended entirely on Shimizu's will.
Katsuragi Kohei wasn't willing to wait for death. After thinking it over, there was only one way—regardless of the outcome, he had to talk to Shimizu to settle Class A's transaction. With his mind made up, he walked toward Shimizu.
But after a few steps, he spotted Ichinose Honami of Class B and the silver-haired girl from Class C—Shiina Hiyori—also heading in the same direction, clearly with the same intention. The three stopped in front of Shimizu almost simultaneously.
"Hmm?" Shimizu looked at the leaders of the other classes without much surprise, though Hiyori coming over was unexpected. The four moved to a different part of the beach, away from the crowd.
Shimizu couldn't suppress a surge of excitement; he had been waiting for this! He could finally secure those points. However, before he could speak, Shiina Hiyori spoke first, breaking the silence: "I plan to sell Class C's leader identity to Class A and B for 1 million Private Points."
Shimizu was startled but then looked surprised as he thought of something; he didn't speak. 'This Shiina is indeed much smarter than Ryuen!'
"What are you talking about! Is it your place to decide? The one who should speak is Shimi—" Katsuragi frowned, not expecting Hiyori to cut in.
"Katsuragi-kun," Hiyori said calmly. "Class C's Special Exam Points are already zero. In other words, our class has no points left to deduct; even if our leader is guessed, it doesn't affect us. We can't change leaders now, so the name on the keycard must be the leader. Of course, I'll give half of this million to Shimizu-kun—after all, only Shimizu-kun and I can prove Class C's leader identity. I have the keycard, and he has the recorder."
"I see... Shiina-san." Ichinose Honami understood immediately. Hiyori's explanation was clear. Buying ironclad info on Class C for 500,000 points was a good deal no matter how you sliced it.
Katsuragi frowned, weighing it, but eventually nodded and agreed. As before, they found the staff and signed the special contract. Another 500,000 Private Points appeared in Shimizu's account.
He realized that Hiyori, who always said she "disliked fighting," actually played a major role in this incident. First, she thought of the leader-change method, and now she used her class's 0 points to successfully grab 500,000.
Before leaving, Hiyori pulled Shimizu aside to explain: "In June, I made a bet with Sakayanagi-san—betting on whether you could earn a large amount of Private Points like you did with the surveillance cameras. Both she and I thought you could; it seems this time is a draw. But
Sakayanagi actually proposed a deal, wishing for me to go all out in this exam to counter you as much as possible. But I still lost to you, Shimizu-kun."
So that was the bet! No wonder Hiyori performed that way on the island! It seems that what she called "a surprise" before boarding the ship was this.
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