She also wanted to take this opportunity to launch an attack on Class A.
This made Saiki slightly surprised. Although he had known Ichinose for some time, he had not expected her abilities to be quite decent.
"Hope no one betrays us, okay!"
As Ichinose finished speaking, the school's broadcast sounded as well, and the discussion time in the meeting room came to an end. Everyone also began leaving one after another.
Although everyone said they would not become traitors, Saiki clearly heard the inner voice of a certain boy from Class A, he was planning to send the name of the VIP to the school shortly.
He didn't know, this was a trap.
Very soon, only Ichinose and Saiki were left in the meeting room.
Saiki wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, but at that moment, Ichinose called out to him.
"Saiki-kun, your plan was very successful, wasn't it? Saiki-kun, I know the SIM card in the phone does get locked together with the device, but it can be unlocked, right?"
"Because I confirmed it with Hoshinomiya-sensei. She said as long as you pay points, you can immediately remove the lock."
Ichinose directly pointed out the flaw she had seen earlier but hadn't exposed.
"People tend to mistake the answer that appears after a fake answer as the truth. Deliberately showing the phone information that Yukimura-kun is not the VIP, once this lie is exposed, the fact that Ayanokoji-kun is the VIP will quietly emerge. Actually, your VIP is Karuizawa-san, right?"
"Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
Saiki only shrugged, pretending to know nothing.
"Ayanokoji and Horikita were the ones who devised this tactic, but I didn't take part in it, so I'm not really clear on the specifics."
"Really? Karuizawa-san's attitude toward you today changed quite a bit compared to before. I don't believe, Saiki-kun, that you didn't participate at all."
"That's just how it is." Saiki continued answering.
"If there's nothing else, then I'll be leaving first."
"Eh?"
Saiki's indifferent attitude made Ichinose a bit surprised. She had expected Saiki to directly question her about why she hadn't exposed those things publicly, or something like that.
In reality, Saiki truly didn't care. He hadn't been much involved in this exam. After confirming the identity of the VIP, all the tactics were devised by Ayanokoji.
But Saiki knew, even if he denied it, Ichinose probably wouldn't fully believe it.
'Yare yare, it probably won't have too much of an effect for now.'
Saiki thought to himself.
"Um... although we are friends, there's one thing I still have to say to you, Saiki-kun. You are now Class B, and we are Class C. We are no longer allies like before, we are opponents now."
"I didn't report that Karuizawa-san is the VIP because our class's ultimate goal is also Class A. Morishige from Class A will probably betray, because he's not part of the Katsuragi faction. I imagine he'll betray us."
As Saiki was about to leave, Ichinose immediately said, as if explaining something.
"I see." Saiki stopped in his tracks and replied.
'Should I act more surprised?'
Just then, they received a message from the school.
[Group U exam is over.]
'Yare yare, so the traitor really did send the message?'
Saiki looked at the screen of his phone and muttered inwardly, feeling confused about how Class A had managed to rise to Class A in the first place.
The class division rules of this school seemed different from what Chabashira Sae had said previously.
Class D wasn't full of defects, and Class A wasn't all good students either.
'But it doesn't really matter to me.' Saiki thought this in his heart, then left the meeting room, feeling a sense of relief.
'A true vacation, here I come!'
After Saiki left, Ichinose appeared a little dazed. Saiki's disinterest in this exam didn't seem like an act, but Ichinose was also sure that Saiki must have done something.
"I found it strange before... The school's grouping has a pattern. I should have been assigned to the Dragon Group... But I ended up in the Rabbit Group..." Ichinose frowned and muttered to herself.
"Maybe... Saiki-kun is the reason I was assigned to this exam group."
———
At the same time, in the teachers' office inside the ship.
"This time's exam results are really unexpected."
Class C's homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie said with a smile while pouring herself a cocktail, glancing at the stern-faced Chabashira Sae beside her.
"What exactly are you planning, Chie?"
Chabashira Sae narrowed her eyes and looked at the cute-faced Hoshinomiya Chie beside her.
Unlike Chabashira Sae, who seemed indifferent to everything, Hoshinomiya Chie was very enthusiastic about her students, treating them almost like friends.
"Wow, why are you suddenly saying that? Did I do something?"
"As per usual, the school's policy should be to assign class representatives to the Dragon Group, right?"
Chabashira Sae's meaning was very clear, 'Why wasn't Ichinose placed in the Dragon Group?'
Homeroom teachers can, to some extent, alter group assignments during special exams, and Ichinose, who should have been in the Dragon Group, ended up in the Rabbit Group instead.
That group was exactly the one Saiki and Ayanokoji were in.
Chabashira Sae had already developed some understanding of Ayanokoji. Although he had told her that Saiki wasn't anything special, deep down, Chabashira Sae still had some concerns about him.
"I'm not joking at all~ Just looking at grades or daily behavior, Ichinose-san is clearly number one in the class."
"However, real-world aptitude can't be fully measured by numerical values. So, based on my judgment, I believe she still has challenges to overcome."
"Also, bunnies are cute, right? That bouncing feeling really fits Ichinose-san, doesn't it?"
"If that's the case, then fine. Don't worry, I've let go of what happened in the past."
"Who knows~ You always want to beat me to everything, so that's why you assigned Ichinose to the Rabbit Group, right?"
"I truly just thought that Ichinose-san had things she needed to learn, which is why I removed her from the Dragon Group. Also~ I'm really curious about your interest in Ayanokoji, this was purely a coincidence, coincidence, coincidence! I'm absolutely not concerned about how your class had overwhelming success in the last special exam..."
After saying that, Hoshinomiya Chie slightly narrowed her eyes.
"And it's not just Ayanokoji. There's also a student named Saiki. You're very concerned about him, aren't you?"
"Especially since he wasn't originally supposed to be in your class, but in ours~ Just like how Sakagami-sensei forcibly placed Ryuen in their class."
"Also, I'm absolutely not bothered at all by the fact that the former leader was suddenly replaced due to illness~ The former Class D jumped straight to Class B in just four months, that has never happened in this school's history."
"Though it's not written in the rules, I hope you'll follow ethical standards. I'd really like to avoid reporting misconduct of a colleague."
Chabashira Sae's expression gradually turned more serious, and her tone matched.
"I just genuinely think this batch of students has very special potential!"
"That part is indeed true."
The two of them, for once, reached agreement on a certain point.
———
After dinner, Saiki had already returned to his room, thinking about how he should spend his vacation.
But just then, a familiar inner voice sounded at Saiki's door, it was Karuizawa Kei.
[Saiki should be in here, right? Manabe and the others apologizing... was it because of Saiki? What did he do, exactly?]
Karuizawa's confused inner thoughts were clearly heard by Saiki.
'Since there's nothing important, I'll just pretend I'm not here.' Saiki said to himself.
[Saiki seems to really like cakes and puddings. I brought him some. If he's not in, I'll just bring it back to my room and eat it myself.]
And just as Karuizawa hesitated on whether or not to knock, Saiki had already walked over and opened the door.
"Ah? Saiki-kun?"
Karuizawa didn't expect the door to suddenly open, and looked a little flustered.
"I heard something outside, so I opened the door." Saiki replied.
"Oh... right, I brought you some sweets!"
Karuizawa spoke while handing the bag in her hand to Saiki.
"If you feel grateful... a tenfold return gift would be fine too..."
Karuizawa was a bit contradictory. On one hand, she was genuinely grateful to Saiki, but at the same time, she maintained a bit of that queen-like attitude.
"Thanks."
Saiki took the bag and quickly glanced at the contents.
"Um... about Manabe and them, did you do something?" Karuizawa asked curiously.
"No, probably just because you apologized, so Manabe and the others couldn't keep going after you." Saiki replied calmly.
Karuizawa pressed her lips together. Of course, she didn't believe Saiki's words.
Just as she turned her head, Saiki was already sitting in his chair and had placed the sweets on the table.
[So fast!]
Karuizawa couldn't help but exclaim inwardly.
Saiki looked at the sweets in his hand, thought for a moment, then turned his head toward Karuizawa.
"Want to eat together?"
"I..."
Karuizawa paused for a moment, then still nodded and sat beside Saiki, eating the sweets together.
Her gaze occasionally drifted toward Saiki, watching how he looked while eating.
[When Saiki-kun eats... it's like he becomes a different person... he kind of looks... cute?]
'.....'
This inner voice completely pulled Saiki's attention back to reality. He quickly controlled his expression.
But at that moment, Saiki's phone vibrated. He took out his phone and glanced at the message, it was from the school.
[Results of the special exam are out.]
Saiki narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew a few classmates were probably still gathered discussing the results. Of course, he didn't want to take part.
"Whose message is it?"
Karuizawa asked instinctively, leaning forward and glancing at Saiki's phone.
"It's an exam email from the school. Didn't you get it?"
"My phone ran out of battery. I haven't gone back to the dorm since leaving the meeting room."
Karuizawa shook her head.
"Then take a look."
Saiki handed the phone to Karuizawa. He didn't need to see the details, he already knew the outcome.
Karuizawa looked at the screen, eyes scanning over the dense text.
[Rat Group: Due to traitor answering correctly, result is Three.]
[Ox Group: Due to traitor answering incorrectly, result is Four.]
[Tiger Group: Successfully hid the VIP's identity, result is Two.]
[Rabbit Group: Due to traitor answering incorrectly, result is Four.]
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