Chapter 243 Kamuro Masumi Wants to "Train" Shimizu Akira / Class A's Tactics
The time quickly reached 8:00 AM. Almost at the exact same second, Shimizu Akira and Horikita Suzune's phones both rang with the school's specialized notification tone. As expected, it was the notification regarding their assigned identities.
At the same time, Akira's daily intelligence finally refreshed:
Kamuro Masumi from Class 1-A is feeling inexplicably annoyed because Shimizu Akira from Class 1-D suddenly gained a lot of personal points recently, meaning she can no longer lend him points like before. She feels Akira has become a bit "arrogant" lately and believes he needs to be properly "trained." Koenji Rokusuke from Class 1-D has never wiped his own body since he was old enough to remember. A traitor will appear in Class 1-D during this special exam.
"Huh?" Akira looked at the first piece of intel and couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
'Just because of that? Upset? And she wants to "train" me?'
Is there actually someone in this world who gets unhappy because they can't lend points to others?
This Kamuro-san is way too... nice, isn't she! Who said she was cold and indifferent to others? Akira certainly had plenty to say about that now.
And what exactly did she mean by "train"? What was this girl planning? Crucially, he and Kamuro Masumi were in the same group.
Was she really going to try some public "training" session during the meeting?
The second piece of intel looked more like trivial gossip. Koenji Rokusuke truly lived up to his status as a young master—to have never wiped his own body since childhood; calling him a pampered, "delicate" young lord wasn't an exaggeration.
Then again, Koenji had been assigned to the Monkey Group.
Akira wondered what kind of chaos he would cause. During the deserted island exam, if Akira hadn't specifically sought him out to say a few words, that guy's self-centered nature would have led him to withdraw halfway.
This exam was different from the island; there was no option to withdraw. If you didn't show up for the group meetings on time, personal points were deducted. The only shortcut to ending the exam early was to be a "traitor"—guessing the VIP ahead of time. A correct guess yielded an extra 500,000 personal points.
Thinking about it, Akira felt that Koenji might actually take things a bit seriously this time.
'Whatever, it doesn't have much to do with me. I'll just be a spectator and watch the show.'
As for the last piece of intel, Akira pondered it carefully. It felt like it had a double meaning. Traitor? What did that refer to? In this special exam, a traitor could mean two completely different things:
Someone within the group who reports the VIP early (a "traitor" to the group rules). A literal betrayal—someone who sells out their own class for personal gain.
So the question followed: which kind of "traitor" was the intelligence referring to?
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Akira picked up his phone and opened the latest message from the school:
'Following a strict adjustment, you have NOT been selected as the VIP. Please act with the awareness of being a group member and take on the exam. The exam begins today at 1:00 PM and will last for three days. Students in the Rabbit Group, please gather in the Rabbit Room on the second floor.'
"A bit of a shame, I wasn't chosen as the VIP," he muttered. He read the message again. Aside from clarifying his identity, the other information was consistent with the previously announced rules.
'Another "strict adjustment"...'
The school really gave its hints clearly, practically telling the students that the VIP selection wasn't random at all.
Nearby, Horikita Suzune finished reading her message and naturally turned her screen toward Akira. "I am not the VIP."
"Neither am I," Akira showed her his phone.
Their messages were identical, except for the group assignment. Akira was in the Rabbit Group, while Suzune's message specified the Dragon Group.
Regarding the Dragon Group members, Hirata Yousuke had already sent the list to the group chat yesterday:
Class A: Katsuragi Kohei, Nishikawa Ryoko, Matoba Shinji, Yano Koharu Class B: Ando Sayo, Kanzaki Ryuji, Tsube Hitomi Class C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuen Kakeru Class D: Kushida Kikyo, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune
Just looking at the list, it seemed the school had deliberately crammed the top players and leaders from each class into the Dragon Group—Katsuragi Kohei from Class A, Kanzaki Ryuji from Class B, Ryuen Kakeru from Class C, and the three "heavyweights" from Class D.
"The Dragon Group is a gathering of core figures from every class," Suzune said after a moment of thought. This was obvious. After all, among the twelve zodiac signs or in mythology, the Dragon is the most noble symbol.
"But you and Ichinose-san weren't assigned to the Dragon Group," Suzune frowned.
Ichinose Honami was the core of Class B; with her abilities, how could she be in the Rabbit Group? As for Akira, his performance on the island was undeniable, yet he wasn't in the Dragon Group either. This distribution made her feel that the "logic" of the groups was hard to find.
"Perhaps the homeroom teachers have some say in the distribution of their own class members," Akira replied. He remembered clearly how Chabashira-sensei tried to set him up with Matsushita Chiaki; it was suspicious that they were both in the Rabbit Group. Plus, Hoshinomiya-sensei always loved pairing him with Ichinose. The groupings were likely the result of the teachers working behind the scenes.
"Why would Chabashira-sensei do that?" Suzune's frown deepened. "Why did she arrange three female classmates with you? And why does the Rabbit Group have the most female students of all groups?"
"Don't ask me, I don't know," Akira was equally baffled. With him included, there were only three boys in the group; it was a lopsided ratio. From a certain perspective, this was probably the group all the male students wanted to be in.
"During the deserted island exam, how many points did Chabashira-sensei give you to make you willing to exert the strength of 250 Class Points?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"Basic reasoning. You should remember the first month when we went to see her together; that woman signed the 1-million-point contract with you right in front of me."
"Fair enough."
"For this grouping, did you tell Chabashira-sensei you wanted to be with pretty girls before you'd take things seriously? But why aren't Kushida and I there?"
"...You're quite confident. But you're right; if I were choosing teammates, you two would be my first choices."
In Akira's heart, there were few girls in Class D he was close to. The only ones he truly cared about were Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, and Karuizawa Kei. The others were just ordinary friends.
"Unfortunately, Chabashira-sensei didn't look for me this time. These groupings were her own decision," Akira added.
"So for this special exam, I plan to slack off and handle things casually."
Suzune glanced at him but said nothing. This wasn't the first time he'd played the slacker.
Before they parted, Suzune specifically mentioned: regarding his thoughts on "further intimate contact," she was aware, but since she was busy organizing the exam today, she would find time tomorrow or the day after.
Suzune was that kind of girl—if she said she'd do something, she'd do it.
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Akira returned to his dorm and found his three roommates there. They had all been assigned to different groups, so it seemed they would have to fight their own battles this time.
He opened the class group chat. It was flooded with messages, mostly students asking "who is the VIP in our group." Hirata Yousuke stepped in, reminding everyone not to reveal their identities in the chat.
Karuizawa Kei helped Akira out, saying he was too tired from the island and wouldn't be as "flashy" this time. Most classmates were understanding, telling him to rest well and that they would work hard.
For this exam, some students suggested that Suzune and Kushida share leadership responsibilities with Hirata. They both agreed. Suzune then posted the key info she'd discussed with Akira:
There are only three VIPs per class. There is a pattern to how the school selects VIPs.
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By 12:30 PM, Akira arrived at the Rabbit Room.
Four people were already at the door. Two he didn't know, but the other two were old acquaintances: Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki Mio from Class C.
"Shimizu-kun, good afternoon!" Hiyori saw him first and greeted him.
"Good afternoon, Shiina," Akira nodded. He could ignore Ryuen, but Hiyori was a fellow book-lover.
At that moment, a brown-haired girl with a "gyaru" vibe approached. "So you're Shimizu? I heard about the deserted island. You played Ibuki like a fiddle. Nice work!"
"Manabe, shut up! No one thinks you're a mute," Ibuki Mio snapped, glaring at her.
"Heh, what? Am I wrong?" the girl, Manabe Shiho, didn't back down. "You and Shiina went undercover in Class D for so long, and you were useless. You got kicked out. Isn't that embarrassing? Yabu, don't you agree?"
"Yeah, it's pretty funny," a quiet-looking girl next to her, Yabu Nanami, chimed in.
Class C wasn't united at all. These two, especially the one named Manabe, clearly had a bad relationship with Ibuki. Their words were shallow and irritating.
Akira spoke up: "Manabe-san, Yabu-san, right?"
"Shimizu-kun, do you need something from us?"
"Oh, tell us, we're listening."
The two girls immediately became submissive.
They were the type to cower before the strong but bully the weak.
Ryuen himself had acknowledged Akira, and Akira was a capable boxer; they didn't dare offend him. Plus, he was handsome—if they could get on his good side or even date him, who in the class would dare touch them?
Akira's next words shattered their fantasies: "Shiina and Ibuki-san went undercover in Class D to serve Class C's interests.
Even if the mission failed, they shouldn't be mocked by you like that. At least they fought for the class, which is more than can be said for you two, who went back to the comfort of the ship by the second night. Especially Ibuki-san, who was willing to take a beating to earn points for Class C.
Don't you think you should respect that sacrifice? Mocking her to her face is a bit off, don't you think?"
Regardless of class affiliation, Hiyori and Ibuki had made real contributions. These two girls had done nothing but mock those who did the work.
Manabe and Yabu froze. They wanted to argue, but the thought of Akira's combat prowess kept their mouths shut. Ibuki looked at Akira in surprise, not expecting him to speak up for her. She figured he probably just wanted to protect Hiyori and she was an afterthought, but she liked his straightforwardness nonetheless.
"So, are you the VIP?" Ibuki asked bluntly.
"What are you thinking? We're competitors; why would I tell you that?" Akira looked at her like she was an idiot.
"Hmph!" Ibuki snorted. She had just thought he was straightforward!
She glanced at Hiyori and saw her smiling quietly, looking quite happy. Ibuki glared at Akira but didn't say anything to Hiyori.
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Shortly after, the Class A members arrived: one boy and two girls.
The boy and one of the girls looked at Akira with wariness. Only the purple-haired girl with the cold expression and the cute hairclip seemed indifferent. She walked up, glanced at Akira, and said, "So you're here too. It seems we're in the same group."
'Is she playing dumb?' Akira thought. 'She only just realized we're in the same group? She didn't check the list yesterday? Definitely intentional.'
Ibuki was interested to see what would happen. Akira had a sharp tongue; she expected him to embarrass the girl. But to her shock, Akira actually smiled and waved.
"Yeah, I'm here. Kamuro, good afternoon. Looks like we're grouped together."
"Oh? Is that so," the girl named Kamuro Masumi softened slightly, but she maintained a cold tone. "We're rivals this time. Don't go overflowing with kindness and sending me food like last time."
"Got it, I understand," Akira nodded, looking strangely obedient.
The scene went silent. Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, and Matsushita Chiaki had arrived and were staring in shock. They had never seen Akira act so compliant.
Kamuro Masumi maintained her cold exterior, but noticed the shifting gazes.
'I thought he'd care about his image and act tough in front of others, but he's no different than when we're alone.'
To her, a man who maintained his attitude toward a girl even in front of his friends—rather than acting like a "macho" boss to save face—was a good man. Akira had no "macho" posturing; he was as obedient as ever.
"Do you know that girl? And you gave her food on the island?" Karuizawa asked, unable to stop herself.
"I do. She's Kamuro Masumi from Class 1-A. She's my friend," Akira explained honestly.
"A few months ago when I was short on points, she helped me out—either lending me points or buying me meals. Even on the island, she helped me a lot."
"How many animals did you catch for her then?" Matsushita interjected. It seemed Kamuro had looked after him more than the other way around.
"Not animals. I bought her a lot of snacks," Akira corrected.
"S-snacks?"
"And a lot of them?"
Even the quiet Sakura was stunned.
A Class D student buying snacks for a girl from another class on a deserted island? Snacks cost Class Points.
Even Sakura would have prioritized basic food. She was jealous. She realized that Akira was extremely popular—not just in their class, but in others as well.
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At 12:55 PM, they entered the room. A long oval table with 14 chairs awaited them. Akira sat in a row of four. Karuizawa immediately took the seat to his left, and Sakura took the seat to his right. He was surrounded by the scent of soap and shampoo.
Ichinose Honami arrived with her Class B teammates, Hamaguchi Tetsuya and Shiranami Chihiro. Akira noticed Shiranami Chihiro, the girl rumored to like the same sex, looking at him with a complex expression before looking down.
At 1:00 PM, the speaker announced: "The first round of group discussions will now begin."
Silence fell. This wasn't a game of Werewolf; there was no fixed turn order. Ichinose broke the ice by suggesting self-introductions. Once everyone finished, a Class A student named Takemoto Shigeru spoke up firmly.
"Sorry, everyone. Our Class A members will remain silent. We will not participate in any discussions or share any information."
"What? No discussion?" Manabe from Class C narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Does that mean one of you is the VIP? Are you choosing silence to hide them? To protect your classmate?"
Silence was her only answer. Takemoto and Tanihara Mao kept their mouths shut. Kamuro Masumi looked bored and simply started playing on her phone.
"Wait, are we allowed to use phones?" Karuizawa asked.
"The rules don't forbid it," Matsushita explained. Since the email was the core evidence of being a VIP, the school couldn't ban phones.
Akira focused on Class A's decision. It didn't seem like a spur-of-the-moment choice, but a pre-planned strategy.
"If you're not participating, why come to the meeting?" Yabu from Class C huffed. "So one of you is the VIP. Aren't you afraid we'll vote for you?"
Ichinose Honami took out her phone and looked at the Class A trio.
"Class A students, I just asked members of other groups. Your silence isn't an isolated decision; it's a consensus reached by more than half of Class A, isn't it? Though in some groups, Class A students are speaking... if I'm not mistaken, this is Katsuragi-kun's idea?"
"Correct," Takemoto said, shocked that she guessed so quickly. "I hope you all do nothing as well. That is the most stable result. That way, every student is guaranteed nearly 40,000 points. For you, that should be a good decision."
"Guaranteed 40,000 points?" Sakura murmured.
Akira picked up the thread: "I see. Class A is pursuing the safest strategy. They want all twelve groups to achieve Outcome 2. If no one discusses or exposes the VIP, then every class receives 1.5 million personal points."
"Yes," Hiyori nodded. "The school distributes VIPs fairly; every class has three. If everyone does nothing, Outcome 2 is reached for everyone. 1,500,000 personal points divided by 40 students is exactly 37,500 points. That matches Takemoto-kun's 'nearly 40,000' figure."
The room finally understood the play being made by Katsuragi and Class A.
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