Although Karuizawa Kei's apology was a little late, it still served its purpose. However, as she and Kure Ragna exited the fire escape and made their way toward the deck, they unexpectedly ran into the Dragon Group, who had just finished their meeting in the corridor.
It was clear they had been engaged in a serious discussion until now.
The school had only designated a time and place for the seminar but never prohibited discussions before or after the official session. As long as they weren't outright breaking the rules, lingering a little longer was acceptable.
Among the group was Kushida Kikyo, a member of the Dragon Group. When she spotted Kure Ragna walking arm in arm with Karuizawa Kei, her eyes widened in surprise.
Hadn't they announced their breakup before the new semester? Was this some kind of final act?
Before she could voice her thoughts, Ryuen Kakeru stepped forward with an amused smirk, his sharp gaze locking onto Kure Ragna like a predator that had just caught an intriguing scent.
"Hey, sunglasses. I was hoping you'd be assigned to the Dragon Group, but it looks like I was disappointed. Word is, you ended up with the Rabbit Group instead?"
"Rabbit Group isn't bad," Kure Ragna replied nonchalantly.
"Oh? You like rabbits?" Ryuen sneered.
"Yeah. Salt and pepper rabbit legs are delicious."
"...Forget it."
Deciding it wasn't worth deciphering that response, Ryuen quickly shifted the conversation, his grin widening. "Let me cut to the chase. I've figured out all the unspoken rules of this exam, including how the candidates are selected."
"Is that so?" Kure Ragna raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
To Ryuen, he must have looked imposing, exuding an air of dominance like a villainous mastermind. But in Kure Ragna's eyes, he was just another guy trying too hard to act tough—especially with his face still swollen and bandaged from the punches Kure had landed on the uninhabited island. Judging by the occasional twitch in Ryuen's expression, there was probably still an ulcer forming in his mouth.
"I have to say, it's almost too easy," Ryuen continued, flashing his usual gangster-like smile. "All I had to do was collect everyone's phones in my class and check them one by one."
"So… have you turned in your exam yet?" Kure Ragna asked.
"...What?"
Ryuen blinked, caught off guard.
Kure Ragna pulled out his phone, glancing at it before letting out an amused snort. "The Dragon Group's exam isn't marked as complete. That means you haven't submitted your answers yet. But why? Didn't you just say you've 'figured everything out'?"
He sighed theatrically. "Unlike me, who still hasn't fully grasped the exam's rules, you should have no problem submitting your answers right away, right? What do you think, Baldy?"
Kure Ragna turned to Katsuragi Kohei, who was also wrapped in gauze.
Katsuragi merely scoffed and looked away, refusing to engage.
"Well, since your meeting is over, we'll be on our way," Kure Ragna said, turning back to his companions.
Without hesitation, he took Kushida Kikyo's hand. She was momentarily startled and instinctively glanced at Karuizawa Kei.
Kei noticed but didn't say anything. She merely pouted slightly before looking away, pretending not to care.
Kushida, confused by the subtle dynamics between them, allowed herself to be led away, a strange sense of harmony forming among the three of them.
---
After returning to the cabin dormitory area, Kure Ragna didn't push things further. Instead, they each went their separate ways to prepare for the next round of discussions, scheduled for the evening.
This time, however, Ichinose Honami arrived at the meeting with a noticeably more serious expression. Unlike the previous day, she hadn't brought cards or other pastimes.
"Not playing house today?" Machida smirked, mocking her softer approach from before.
"Well, you could say that," Ichinose replied with a warm smile, unfazed by his taunt.
"At first, I thought if we all worked together and reached a consensus, we could pass the exam without conflict. But I see now that I was being naive. Since that method isn't working, I have no choice but to take a stronger approach."
"Oh?" Kure Ragna leaned forward, intrigued. "How strong are we talking?"
Ichinose took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for a major revelation. Then, she met everyone's gaze and declared,
"I will reveal the identity of the preferential student."
Silence fell over the room.
Everyone, except for Kure Ragna, reacted with varying degrees of shock.
There were only two possibilities when someone made such a declaration. Either they were the preferential student themselves, or they had figured out the identity of the real one and intended to expose them.
If it were anyone else, people would assume they were lying. But this was Ichinose Honami.
As the former leader of Class B, her honesty and goodwill were well known. If anyone could be trusted to do something like this, it was her.
"That's right," she continued. "The preferential student is in Class C. I knew this from the very first day, which is why I asked back then, 'If we all assume we are not the preferential student, what is the best possible outcome for this exam?'"
She scanned the faces around her, speaking with sincerity and conviction.
"But I understand that trust alone won't guarantee cooperation. So I came up with a final solution."
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of paper, still warm from being pressed against her body.
"Only those who sign this contract will be given the identity of the preferential student."
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