Chapter 117: Logically Speaking, You Shouldn't Be Here!
Time quickly reached 10:00 AM.
Hachiman had been at the bar counter for quite a while. A half-read book lay open before him, and the drink in the glass beside it had long since hit the bottom. The bar was adjacent to the edge of the deck, offering an open view of the vast, boundless blue sea, creating a pleasant atmosphere.
However, as time passed, more and more students flocked to feed the seagulls. These birds had long lost the wariness of wild creatures due to constant feeding. They gathered in small groups along the railings and near the bar, lazily tilting their heads and chirping, acting as if being fed was their natural right. Someone scattered breadcrumbs, and the seagulls swarmed, their noisy chirping mixing with the students' laughter, completely shattering the original tranquility.
Hachiman didn't particularly like crowded places. He finished the last sip of his drink and prepared to find a new spot.
Yet, before he could stand up, he heard a flurry of hurried footsteps. He looked up to see a slender figure running toward him. Her blonde ponytail was disheveled by the sea breeze, the ends swaying with her movement—it was Karuizawa Kei.
Moreover, her usually exquisite makeup looked a bit rushed; fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her face carried a look of clear anxiety. Her breathing was ragged.
This surprised Hachiman; normally, if something happened, she would choose to contact him via phone. Running to the deck bar in such a rush suggested an emergency so pressing she didn't even have time to send a message.
In an instant, Karuizawa reached the bar, gripping the edge with both hands. She leaned forward, gasping for air. It took a while for her to catch her breath, but the urgency in her eyes didn't fade. She scanned the bar, locked onto Hachiman, and grabbed his sleeve. Her voice was so rushed it was almost disjointed: "It's bad... something happened!"
Hachiman put down his empty glass. Though he didn't know what was wrong, he chose to comfort her first. "Don't rush. Calm down and speak slowly. What's the matter? The sky isn't falling yet."
His tone was flat, yet it possessed a strange calming power. Karuizawa's panic subsided slightly. She took a deep breath, and while her speed was still fast, it was much clearer: "The Class A students are clearing out the top deck area right now. They aren't letting students from other classes get anywhere near it. I overheard them when I passed by; it seems Sakayanagi from their class is coming today, and they're preparing to welcome her at the top.
Sakayanagi... Sakayanagi is coming!"
'Oh. That.'
Hachiman nodded slightly, showing no surprise. Recalling Kamuro's abnormal reaction earlier, he understood immediately.
To some extent, while Kamuro was a loyal dog, she did have a tendency to mess things up with good intentions. For instance, she came to find him after learning Sakayanagi was coming, perhaps to gather intel, but ended up letting the news slip because of his prompting.
Kamuro was Sakayanagi's loyalist, dedicated and diligent, but she was too straightforward and couldn't hide her thoughts. With a little guidance, she'd leak information—one could even say she was a "freebie."
However, Karuizawa running here directly to report wasn't exactly smart either. The deck was covered in students; if she were seen contacting him privately, it would undoubtedly be a self-exposure. Compared to Kamuro, they were like two sisters in the same boat of blunders. One couldn't really mock the other.
But seeing Karuizawa's lingering nervousness, Hachiman withheld the teasing remarks. He could see she was genuinely worried that Class B would miss out on intelligence and fall into a passive position. This sincerity was rare, and he didn't want to say anything discouraging that would hurt her feelings.
"It's not just that," Karuizawa added quickly, seeing Hachiman's calm demeanor. "Ryuen from Class C headed toward the top area just now! I saw him taking a few Class C students with him, and his expression was terrifyingly grim. It looked like he was going to stir up trouble with Class A. When I left, they had already started arguing. And I vaguely heard Ryuen mention your name."
"Oh? Ryuen went too? And mentioned my name?" Hachiman raised an eyebrow.
He never underestimated Ryuen.
While Ryuen was arrogant, competitive, and often impulsive or even reckless, he was quick-witted and ambitious. He hated being passive and preferred taking the initiative to seize the advantage.
Knowing Sakayanagi was coming, which would boost Class A's morale, Ryuen surely wanted to give them a "preemptive strike" to assert Class C's presence and disrupt Class A's deployment. But for Ryuen to be this impatient and specifically mention his name made the intent intriguing—he clearly wanted to drag Hachiman into the mess, making everyone think Class B and Class C were in cahoots.
He wanted to use Hachiman's name to pressure Class A while pushing Class B into the spotlight, forcing them to bond with Class C to face Class A together.
In terms of psychological warfare, Ryuen was indeed doing well. But wasn't this approach similar to what he had discussed with Hiyori? Hiyori wanted him to continue the alliance. Hachiman hadn't agreed, so Ryuen was now trying to bind Class B to the same battlefront.
'Does he want an alliance that badly? We could have fought as rivals in this exam.'
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At that moment, the top deck of the ship was already in chaos. The sounds of arguing and shouting could be heard from across the deck.
Hashimoto was leading about a dozen Class A students, lined up to block the entrance. His expression was serious and his gaze wary as he barred non-Class A students. He kept repeating, "Move along! This is where Class A welcomes Princess Sakayanagi. Unrelated personnel, please leave!"
It was as if welcoming Sakayanagi was a sacred event that students from other classes weren't even qualified to watch.
Of course, some people didn't give a damn about them. For example, Ryuen. Leading his two lackeys, he swaggered into the top area. He stood directly opposite the Class A students, arms crossed, unleashing his disdain and mockery skills: "You Class A lot are truly pathetic! Just because you lost one island exam, you've become this wretched, having to call for backup just to save face. You're no different from a pack of stray dogs!"
He then raised his voice, intentionally provoking them: "Katsuragi is such a failure; he couldn't even hold one exam or lead a class properly. He should step down early to avoid being a laughingstock!"
One could say Ryuen's "AoE taunt" was incredibly fierce. Whether they were fanatical members of the Sakayanagi faction or leaned toward the Katsuragi faction, they couldn't tolerate Ryuen insulting the entirety of Class A like this.
Their faces flushed red as they fired back: "Ryuen Kakeru, stop talking nonsense! Sakayanagi-san was always a student of Class A. She only missed the island exam because of her health. What's wrong with her coming to take the exam normally now?!"
"Exactly! Look at your own Class C! You just got lucky and picked up 350 points. What's the big deal? You're still just a lower class!"
"A class like yours thinks it's worthy of mocking Class A? Once the exam starts, we'll show you our strength! Let's see how arrogant you are then!"
Ryuen looked at the incensed Class A students, his lips curling into a mocking smile. The provocation grew deeper.
This was exactly the effect he wanted—to enrage Class A and disrupt their mindset, making them lose their composure before Sakayanagi even arrived.
Or rather, damn it, the fact that Sakayanagi was coming to the exam now wasn't good news for him. He already knew from Hiyori that Hikigaya had rejected the proposal to continue the alliance for this exam.
Thus, he might have to fight this one himself.
But the exam details were unknown. The only thing he could grasp was that Class A's morale was low—even Katsuragi's spirit had crumbled. If Class A suddenly got Sakayanagi back and managed to regroup, he couldn't accept that. So, Ryuen was here to pressure the Class A students and launch a psychological offensive.
He took a step forward, his voice cold and deliberate: "With a ragtag bunch like you, you dare speak of making us pay? But you were right to have Sakayanagi come—after all, in the upcoming exam, Class A will be besieged by Class B, C, and D together!"
He paused intentionally, watching the Class A students turn pale. Feeling secretly smug, he continued: "Don't go dropping out of Class A later and use the excuse that Sakayanagi wasn't here. Now that she's here, our three classes will still attack. Let's see how you justify yourselves then!"
Ryuen's words were like a heavy bomb, causing an instant uproar among the Class A students. Their faces were filled with disbelief, and their eyes were full of panic and fear. Although they had anticipated being targeted during the off-campus exams, the island exam hadn't felt that way since Classes B and D had withdrawn so quickly, and Class C alone was inferior to them. Though the final result was bad, they hadn't been that tense.
But now, with Ryuen personally confirming that Classes B, C, and D might join forces, they were plunged into total panic. What if Sakayanagi arrived and Class A still lost? This thought acted as a massive psychological blow, causing Class A's morale to plummet.
When Katsuragi, Morishita Ai, and Shiraishi Asuka arrived, they happened to hear Ryuen's words. Katsuragi's face remained calm, but a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes. He knew Ryuen wasn't joking; a B-C-D alliance was indeed a fatal threat to Class A.
Shiraishi Asuka stood to the side and whispered to Katsuragi, "Katsuragi-kun, while an alliance between the three classes is possible, Ryuen is saying it now just to disturb our mindset and crush our morale. He wants us in disarray before Sakayanagi-san arrives."
Morishita Ai also stepped forward, scanned the surroundings, and said quickly, "What do we do now? Everyone is already panicking. If this continues, Class A will fall apart before the exam even starts!"
She was good at sensing the atmosphere, and Class A certainly didn't look like an elite group right now.
Katsuragi stepped forward to face Ryuen, his voice cold: "Ryuen, verbal disputes are meaningless. Let the exam prove the truth. Class A will never fear any challenge. Whether you join forces or not, we will see it through to the end!"
"Heheh—" Ryuen simply smiled without speaking. He had achieved his goal; Class A's morale was diminished. Katsuragi's toughness looked like nothing more than forced composure to him. Once the exam started, if he could make the three classes truly unite, Katsuragi would realize how laughable his toughness was.
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Back at the bar, watching the chaos at the top of the ship from a distance.
"So, Ryuen is lying about the B-C-D alliance?" Karuizawa asked. "Your Class B isn't actually cooperating with Class C?"
"Not yet for this one. You can't talk about cooperation before knowing what the exam is," Hachiman said.
"Oh." Karuizawa nodded, only half-understanding.
Hachiman continued to explain: "But this exam is indeed the best chance for the three classes to team up and take down Class A, outside of a pure written or physical test. Ryuen is quite clever. The alliance is currently just his lie, with no actual basis, but he has achieved his goal—disrupting Class A's mindset and crushing their morale."
As he spoke, Hachiman looked toward the top deck with a deeper gaze: "Class A has been scattered and low-spirited since the island exam ended. Even Katsuragi himself has to be cautious and is thus restricted. Sakayanagi's arrival will act as a booster, re-solidifying their will to fight. That isn't good for any of us in B, C, or D. Ryuen bringing up the alliance now is to suppress that newly ignited fighting spirit, forcing Sakayanagi to waste her focus dealing with a theoretical three-class siege."
Karuizawa finally realized.
She had thought Ryuen was just looking for a fight because Class A had reported Class C for fighting many times before, resulting in their class points being zeroed in the first month. She thought it was revenge. But now she saw Ryuen was playing a psychological game with a focus on the big picture.
"So... that means..." Karuizawa thought of something. "Ryuen from Class C is actually a... psychological master?"
'A psychological master?' Hachiman repeated the words in his mind, a slight curve appearing on his lips.
Karuizawa was right; in the original story, Ryuen was indeed skilled at psychological manipulation, especially at exploiting the weaknesses in people's hearts to disturb them.
After a moment of thought, Hachiman decided to transmit some of his inner voice to Karuizawa. Unlike what he sent to Kamuro and the others, he could tell Karuizawa some of the truth. After all, she was the only one who wanted to tell him after hearing his thoughts. She was a good girl.
So, Hachiman transmitted his thoughts clearly and quickly.
'Karuizawa, I'm going to tell you some information now.'
"Eh?" Karuizawa was surprised to hear Hachiman's inner voice. They were standing right there; they could just talk. However, she figured it might be something that shouldn't be said out loud, so she listened intently.
'Ryuen is indeed a psychological master in the original story. Because he rules his class with violence, rebellions constantly occur. His Class C has various traitors; one of them is named Manabe Shiho. He had to perform several psychological tests to find her. This Manabe Shiho also has a rift with you in the original story. You are both gyarus, but she is a 'real' gyaru who has always found you eyesores.
In the next exam under normal development, Manabe Shiho would be bought by Ayanokouji to become a tool for attacking you. Ayanokouji would have her and her companions intentionally make things difficult for you, bully you, or even engage in harassment. Once you were in a desperate situation, he would appear as a hero to save you, gain your trust, and then use you.
Have you already had a dispute with Rika from Class C because of a queue? Manabe Shiho is close to Rika, and Manabe is the leader of the gyarus, so she will definitely try to find trouble with you because of Rika's situation.'
Hachiman looked at Karuizawa. He remembered that in the original story, Karuizawa was targeted by Manabe because of a dispute with Rika, becoming Ayanokouji's pawn. He was warning her now so she could avoid that trap.
"Eh?" Karuizawa was stunned. Her surprise slowly turned into shock. Her pupils dilated and her lips trembled; she was clearly terrified by these thoughts. She instinctively took a half-step back, her eyes wavering.
She didn't know much about who Manabe Shiho was, but she knew Rika. And the queue dispute Hachiman mentioned—it actually happened yesterday. She went to order milk tea for everyone and had a spat with a girl from Class C named Rika.
She hadn't cut the line, but Rika thought she did, leading to an argument before Rika ran off crying.
And looking at it now... did that mean she was in danger? At this point, she didn't care about Class C; was her own situation about to become a problem? And what kind of terrifying
operation was Ayanokouji running—buying gyarus to bully her just so he could debut as a hero?
Seeing Karuizawa's panicked and helpless look, Hachiman realized that the information he just shared had shattered her sense of security.
'Don't be afraid. Since I'm telling you, I won't let you fall into that situation. What I said is true, but that's just the original plot. With me here now, I will help you prepare in advance.
The plot has already changed, and even the exams have shifted, but I don't think he will truly ignore you. So for the upcoming exam, besides the test itself, I expect him to make a move.
For the next two days, you can move around the ship, but you can seek Kushida's help. Ask her to help you monitor Ayanokouji's GPS status. If he is frequently near you over these two days, then we can confirm it. He indeed wants to subjugate you.'
"How could it be—" Karuizawa almost instinctively grabbed her own clothes with her left hand.
'If you knew nothing, then he would indeed be a powerful person. But I know a lot—even more about him than he knows about himself. Since I agreed to our deal, I will naturally protect you. Wait for the upcoming exam rules and arrangements, and then I will confirm the specific plan for your protection.'
"I... I understand," Karuizawa said softly.
Just then, while Classes C and A were still arguing on the top deck and the situation was growing more tense, a sharp roar suddenly came from the sky. It grew louder, instantly drowning out the shouting on the deck.
Everyone instinctively looked up toward the sky, their faces full of confusion and curiosity. A black helicopter was slowly flying toward the top area of the ship. The rotors spun at high speed, whipping up gusts of wind. The fuselage glinted with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight, looking both exceptionally grand and carrying a powerful sense of oppression that made people feel an involuntary sense of awe.
The helicopter slowed down and gradually lowered its altitude toward the landing spot on the top deck. Nearby students retreated, avoiding the wind from the rotors while staring at the aircraft in shock. Even the students on the lower deck looked over in astonishment.
Katsuragi, at the top, remained calm. As the Student Council Secretary, he knew the Student Council was equipped with helicopters for such emergencies. The fact that Sakayanagi could mobilize this helicopter was enough to show her strength and status.
Ryuen stood in place, watching the helicopter. His face grew even grimmer, and a flash of jealousy appeared in his eyes. The school had gone to such lengths to arrange a helicopter specifically to bring Sakayanagi to the exam. The prestige was simply too much!
The helicopter landed, the rotors slowed, and the roar subsided. The cabin door opened, but the first person to step out wasn't the familiar Sakayanagi Arisu. It was a young man wearing a school uniform who exuded a natural authority. His face was cold, his gaze sharp, and he radiated a powerful aura that made people hesitate to approach—it was the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.
After stepping off, Horikita Manabu didn't move far but stood to the side, looking back at the door. Clearly, he was there to escort Sakayanagi.
Next, a girl in a white dress slowly walked out of the cabin. She held a cane in her left hand, and her face carried a calm and elegant smile. She was incredibly cute, but also incredibly dangerous and aggressive. This person was the other class representative of Class A, Sakayanagi Arisu.
Though her movements were limited, her steps were elegant and composed. Every step was steady and orderly; even walking down the helicopter's ramp, her aura wasn't at all inferior to the Student Council President beside her.
The Class A students, seeing Sakayanagi arrive, saw the anger caused by Ryuen vanish instantly. It was replaced by intense expectation and excitement. They swarmed toward her, their voices full of awe and fanaticism: "Sakayanagi-san! You're finally here!"
"Sakayanagi-san, with you here, we're at ease!"
Cheers rang out again. The previous panic and disarray were replaced by joy and anticipation. These were the fanatical members of the Sakayanagi faction. In Sakayanagi's terms, these were her "puppies."
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze slowly swept over the cheering Class A students. With a faint smile, she raised her hand slightly to acknowledge their passion. But she didn't linger on the top deck; as if she already had a plan, she turned and headed toward the ship's corridors.
Seeing this, the Class A students wanted to follow, but Sakayanagi stopped them with a wave of her hand. "Everyone stay here and wait. I'm going to see someone and will be back shortly."
No one dared to disobey. they stopped in their tracks, their eyes following Sakayanagi's figure, their hearts full of curiosity—who was Sakayanagi-san going to see the moment she arrived?
"..."
Ryuen stood there, watching Sakayanagi's receding back. Then he shifted his gaze to Horikita Manabu. Manabu remained calm.
At that moment, Hachiman also left the bar, heading toward the top deck area. As Sakayanagi descended, Hachiman ascended. Finally, on the third floor, the two met.
Though it had been about ten days, they were still very familiar with each other.
"Oh, Sakayanagi." Although he wasn't great at social interaction, Hachiman was now able to smoothly greet people he was familiar with.
He raised his left hand and gave a small wave to Sakayanagi as a greeting.
Sakayanagi: "..."
Sakayanagi, of course, wouldn't snub a smiling face. She maintained her smiling appearance.
"What a surprise. I didn't expect to run into you in the hallway the moment I stepped off the plane, Hikigaya-kun," she said. Her voice was soft but possessed a unique clarity, as if the surrounding noise was drowned out by her gentle tone. Or rather, she was naturally quite cute, and now that she was so eye-catching, even the students from Class D couldn't help but stare.
"Is that so? Well, I came specifically to meet you," Hachiman said. "I didn't expect you to participate in this second exam.
You know, logically speaking, you shouldn't be here," Hachiman added.
"Heheh—" Sakayanagi chuckled. She seemed quite proud, but soon her tone took on a "smile with a hidden blade," for she said: "I must truly thank you for giving me such a big 'surprise' during the island exam that just ended."
As she spoke, she pouted slightly, the dissatisfaction in her eyes clear and unmasked.
While she thanked him on the surface, anyone could tell she was in a bad mood—downright terrible, actually. After all, due to Hachiman's careful arrangements during the island exam, Class A not only failed to gain an advantage but was saddled with a massive debt. As the class representative, she had to bear a debt of 28,000 points every month.
Though Katsuragi was the one who signed the agreement, she had to pay.
There was no exception.
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