Chapter 328 Everything Was Calculated / Why Ask About Stealing!
Nagumo Miyabi's face looked as if he had swallowed a fly.
Shimizu Akira hadn't actually done much during this special exam.
In reality, he only did three things: first, he utilized Ryuen Kakeru as an undercover agent; second, he carefully selected his group members; and third, he mobilized each member's motivation.
In total, these actions likely took less than an hour of his time. With just those three moves, he had effortlessly defeated a group that Nagumo had meticulously planned and maneuvered for a long time.
'Are these guys... really that strong?'
Nagumo thought back to Akira's group. Koenji Rokusuke, Akira himself, and that foreigner with incredible physical stats, Yamada Albert... just the relay race alone was enough to leave most teams in the dust. But why hadn't he noticed the raw power of this group before?
"While moving with the large group, many arguments broke out," Akira explained to Horikita Manabu, word by word.
"Most of them were started by Ryuen Kakeru. That was a deliberate performance for the second-year senpais. I assume he reported those back to Nagumo Miyabi, too.
It was a link in my plan to paralyze the opponent's vigilance. That's essentially it."
"One link after another!"
"Nagumo didn't lose unfairly!"
"Gosh, Ryuen-san, you're a veteran actor! I really thought you were going to brawl with Class C!" Ishizaki Daichi's eyes were wide.
"Heh, what did you expect!" Ryuen grinned and laughed triumphantly. He seemed to quite enjoy the spotlight.
Then again, Ryuen's acting was top-tier.
After all, he had been playing the role of the internal saboteur since the very first day of the island exam. Playing a character who hated everyone and picked fights was basically just being himself.
Nagumo stood there, but he didn't look crushed. Instead, he lowered his head and let out a low chuckle.
"Hahaha!"
He suddenly looked up and clapped his hands forcefully. "Shimizu-kouhai! Amazing! Impressive, truly impressive! I concede this defeat completely!"
"Layout the board before the exam even started, even dragging Ryuen Kakeru into your arrangements... your grasp of the human heart is terrifyingly precise.
The way you joined the group didn't look deliberate at all. You staged internal strife to draw my attention, and then purposefully slacked off to lower my guard... only to strike a fatal blow on the final day."
Nagumo laughed loudly. "Besides Horikita-senpai, you are the second person to make me this interested."
"Alright, stop laughing; you look like an idiot. I have no interest in hearing a loser's speech," Akira interrupted him.
"Horikita-senpai took first, I took second, and you're third at best. You lost to both of us. Per our bet, immediately rescind the policy lowering Class D's treatment after this exam and pay me eight million personal points. You can manage that, right?"
"I will do exactly as I said." Nagumo's expression finally looked a bit stung.
"As long as you know." Akira turned and walked toward the back of the crowd.
As the saying goes, in this school, credit is everything. If Nagumo were stupid enough to renege on a debt in front of everyone, he likely wouldn't last two days before being ousted.
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.
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"Shimizu! You really checkmated that guy!"
"Our group got first place overall!"
"I never expected Ryuen to be a spy..."
Miyake Akito, Yukimura Teruhiko, and the others gathered around, faces filled with uncontainable excitement.
"Shimizu, I didn't realize you planned so much," Hashimoto Masayoshi said from the side with a bitter smile.
"You and Ryuen were partners all along... and here I was worried you'd lose to Nagumo."
"Sorry for making you worry," Akira replied.
As he turned away, Akira couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish.
Of all these people, the one who baffled him most was Hashimoto. This morning, before Akira could even speak, Hashimoto had proactively stated he would give his all for the exam.
Last night, he was the one who smoothed over the group's internal friction.
'Does he really love that fidget spinner gift that much?'
Subsequently, the rankings for the boys' large groups were announced:
First Place: The large group led by 3rd Year Tsunoda-senpai (Akira's group). Second Place: The large group led by Horikita Manabu. Third Place: The large group led by Nagumo Miyabi.
To be honest, Akira was slightly surprised. Looking purely at the average score, Manabu's group was higher than his. But when the scores of the three subgroups were combined, Akira's large group took the top spot.
It was a pleasant surprise.
The boys' side also had a last-place finisher, but since the scores of all three years were above the passing line, no boys were expelled. The teacher had hinted earlier that the "evaluations were quite good," implying from the start that no one would fail out due to grades. The only drama was Nagumo's targeting of Tachibana Akane.
The school left about an hour for students to pack their bags before the buses headed back.
"Ah... you're actually a pretty good guy!"
"Haha, you too!"
"Come here, give me a hug before we go!"
Walking out of the gym, two boys who had grown close during the camp shared a sentimental hug.
"Ugh! Disgusting!" Ryuen, watching from the side, furrowed his brow in disgust.
"Now, now, Ryuen-san, don't be like that," Ishizaki Daichi chimed in with a grin.
"Didn't you and Shimizu build a 'deep friendship' during this exam too?"
"Exactly! It's the first time I've seen you cooperate with someone," Miyake teased.
"Heh, you're delusional," Ryuen snorted.
"He and I are purely business. Hey, Shimizu, I want at least half of that eight million from Nagumo."
"In your dreams," Akira replied flatly. "Our contract wasn't just for me. You took plenty of benefits from Nagumo too, didn't you? He agreed to give every sick student in Class D 500,000 points on the first day just to recruit you. Including that, we're more than even."
"Tch! Shrewd bastard!" Ryuen cursed under his breath. He thought he could hide it from Akira, but the guy had calculated everything. Still, looking back at the gym, it was the first time he
had been stared at with shock and even admiration for so long. In a way, he owed that feeling to Akira.
'Fine, I won't charge him for the difference.'
"Let's add each other as friends!" Hashimoto suggested. Everyone had their phones back now.
"Fine with me."
"Sure."
"Tch... alright." Ryuen pulled out his phone reluctantly.
"Wait!" Yukimura looked around while counting.
"Where's Koenji?!"
Everyone looked up to see Koenji Rokusuke surrounded by several 3rd-year girls.
"Koenji-kun~ want to come to my dorm tonight?"
"Come to mine! I'm graduating soon!"
"Me too!"
"Hahaha~ Ladies, no need to rush, one at a time~" Koenji walked away with an arm around two girls, never once looking back at his team.
"Damn it! Did that guy even consider us friends?! I'm definitely not adding him!" Ishizaki cursed.
"If you were as rich as the Koenji family and built like a T-Rex, you'd be that popular too," Hashimoto laughed.
"Speaking of T-Rexes, we have another one in our group, don't we?" Several eyes turned toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
"I'm not interested in that," Ayanokouji answered without hesitation.
He meant it. Dating was nowhere near as comfortable as hanging out with friends.
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Akira was slowly tidying his bed when a familiar voice came from the door.
"Shimizu, come out for a second."
Horikita Manabu was waving to him. Akira followed him to a corner of the hallway where Tachibana Akane was waiting. She bowed slightly when she saw him.
"Shimizu-kun, thank you for your help during this exam... The President told me you were the first to notice I was unwell."
"It's nothing!" Akira waved it off.
"I'm just glad you're okay. I was actually worried you'd be mad at me for meddling..."
"I wouldn't," Tachibana shook her head.
"The President explained it to me. In that situation, it was right to speak up. I was just overthinking things."
"The fault wasn't yours," Manabu said seriously, then looked at Akira.
"You did me a huge favor. You don't need to pay me the two million points from our bet. Keep them."
"Eh? Is that okay?"
"Yes. We're graduating soon. Even if we convert points to outside currency, the rate is abysmal. They are of little use to me, but they will serve a greater purpose in your hands."
"Alright, thank you, President."
"Shimizu," Manabu patted his shoulder, "today was the first time you saw a student forced out by a special exam. Any thoughts?"
Akira thought seriously.
"I feel like personal points are incredibly important. If you didn't have enough reserves, Tachibana-senpai would have been in danger."
"Correct. In this school, personal points are sometimes more useful than class points. They can do many things, and avoiding expulsion is just the most important one. You must continue to accumulate them; do not relax."
Manabu paused, then asked: "You have over twenty million points, but that's only enough to save one person. If the next person facing expulsion is a regular classmate, would you save them?"
"That..." Akira fell into a brief silence.
"I probably wouldn't. If it's just an average classmate, I'd save the points for the people I care about more. However, if the class needs to share the burden, I'd be willing to contribute a portion."
"You're only a first-year. You will face more exams and more expulsions. Just do what is within your power." Manabu nodded.
"Hearing you think that way makes me a bit more at ease."
He then shared his experience.
"Actually, when an unavoidable expulsion occurs, negotiating with the person and providing proper compensation... is also a solution."
"I see. Thank you, Senpai!" Akira nodded. That was a good strategy. For some students, this school wasn't the only option.
This was information Honami could use.
"I'll be going then," Manabu signaled and walked away.
Tachibana was about to follow, but she suddenly leaned into Akira and whispered: "Shimizu-kun, how are things going with Suzune? Are you two... dating? You must have kissed by now, right?"
Akira felt helpless.
"We've kissed, but we aren't dating."
"Eh?! Why?!"
"Because Suzune... doesn't seem to have plans for a boyfriend right now."
"That sounds like a line from a tsundere twin-tail heroine in a manga!"
"You read manga, Senpai?"
"Ahem! You misheard me!" Tachibana waved her hands.
"Anyway, I get it! Since you helped me so much, I'll take care of the thing between you and Suzune!"
Akira watched her walk away, shaking his head.
'Somehow, that doesn't feel very reliable!'
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On the First Year Class A bus.
Sakayanagi Arisu was quickly calculating the results. Her group won the girls' side, and Akira's won the boys'. Akira's group had eleven members, but only five were from Class C. That meant it would only bring about 100 Class Points to Class C.
In other words, Class A had successfully prevented other classes' main groups from getting the maximum multiplier. The class rankings wouldn't shift significantly.
'Well done, Katsuragi, Hashimoto.'
The ambush by the three classes had been sudden, and without phones, she could only prioritize the girls' side. She only found out later that Katsuragi and Hashimoto joined Akira's group.
Perhaps they had the same idea as her.
Katsuragi was as "stupid" as ever—no longer a leader, yet still working hard for the class. But Hashimoto was more useful than she expected.
To be honest, she had looked down on him at first—a jack-of-all-trades who was master of none. But the more she underestimated him, the better he performed. He had played key roles in several exams now. She realized some things really couldn't be done without him.
She decided to reward him and transferred 200,000 points to his account.
Hashimoto: I don't need it this time. I didn't act on any of your instructions.
'Eh? Turning down money?' Sakayanagi didn't think too much of it. A fence-sitter like him probably just judged that Akira's group had the highest win rate. That must be it.
.
.
.
The bus drove smoothly on the mountain road. It was quiet; most students were exhausted and sleeping. Sakayanagi, however, was wide awake.
Nagumo had lost... cleanly, yet meaningfully. The look Nagumo gave Akira at the end wasn't the frustration of a loser, but the excitement of a hunter finding new prey.
Things were getting interesting.
"Hey, Sakayanagi, did you forget something?" Kamuro Masumi's voice came from beside her.
"Oh! Right, right. I'll transfer the 500,000 now." Sakayanagi sent the points.
"Fine... I got it." Kamuro's mood improved visibly.
"Hmph, that idiot Nagumo got played like a fiddle and didn't even know it."
"Heh, don't blame it all on him being an idiot," Sakayanagi chuckled.
"Shimizu-kun's layout was perfect. Though, him working with Ryuen was a surprise."
"It's because you and everyone else couldn't imagine it that Nagumo couldn't either," Kamuro shrugged.
"That's why he won."
"True. Looking back, Akira joining Miyake's group had many benefits beyond strength. He did it for a friend; Miyake was the leader, so Akira had no risk of expulsion; even if they came in last,
they were classmates, so he wouldn't be dragged down; and Kaneda promised 100,000 points to the Ryuen members." Sakayanagi held up four fingers.
"Hmph, of course," Kamuro raised her chin slightly.
"A mere training camp couldn't stop him."
She suddenly frowned.
"Wait, is Nagumo stupid? Why use 3rd Year Class B to target Class A? The class rankings didn't change! Wouldn't it be better to use a 3rd Year Class D leader?"
Sakayanagi smiled.
"Good question. I thought about that too. My guess is that besides Class B, the gap between Class A and Classes C or D is so large they might not have cooperated fully. What do you think?"
"Hey, don't treat me like a moron," Kamuro rolled her eyes. "Class B lost 400 points too; it was meaningless. With Nagumo's methods, he could have motivated the other two classes if he wanted."
Sakayanagi felt like her "child" was finally learning to think. She answered more seriously:
"You're right. Even if Classes C and D didn't care about class points, they would have agreed if Nagumo offered a huge amount of personal points. Personal points can be exchanged for cash after graduation. Nagumo just didn't do it."
She shrugged.
"The answer is simple: Nagumo only wants to compete with Horikita Manabu. He doesn't actually want him expelled or for Class A to lose its spot. He didn't even touch Manabu himself during this camp."
Dealing with Akira was hard because he's a first-year and not under Nagumo's thumb—Ryuen even defected. But the third year was different.
Except for Class A, Nagumo controlled the other three classes. Making someone in Manabu's group score a zero would have been easy. Nagumo just chose not to.
"Of course, it's also possible Nagumo didn't touch Manabu because he was too focused on making Akira's group come in last," Sakayanagi added.
"Oh..." Kamuro nodded, half-understanding.
"Heh, don't worry about the expulsion thing from earlier. Relax!" Sakayanagi smiled at her.
"I'll protect you. After all, I'm quite fond of you."
"Hmph! Who needs you!" Kamuro turned away. "That guy has already protected me perfectly!"
On the first day, Kikyo had tried to recruit her, saying Akira specifically told her to protect Kamuro. Even though she declined because she'd already promised Sakayanagi on the bus, she knew Akira truly treated her well. That was indisputable.
Good deeds should be rewarded. Kamuro thought about how it had been a while since she and Akira were intimate. Their relationship... should take the next step.
'Hmph, when we get back, I'll find a time to go to his dorm. I need to prepare my stockings in advance.'
"By the way, Masumi, are you still stealing things?" Sakayanagi asked suddenly.
"Why are you asking that?" Kamuro glared.
"Just for fun! What if I accidentally exposed your shoplifting? What would you do?"
"Heh, you have no evidence. I'll sue you for libel," Kamuro snorted. On the first day of school, that guy had already paved the way for her—the beer belonged to Akira. Without evidence, why should she admit to anything?
"Heh... so that's your reaction." Sakayanagi smiled contentedly.
"Creepy..." Kamuro felt a chill from that expression.
'What is she up to now? And why bring up stealing out of nowhere?'
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