I returned to my room, dying for a moment of peace and quiet. In the middle of dozing, I thought I heard a noise, and propped myself up in bed. Neither Yukimura nor Kouenji were in the room.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
Hirata, who'd been putting his luggage back in order, looked up with a slightly apologetic expression. He was putting on his uniform, which made me think he was getting ready to leave.
"Nah, I wasn't really in a deep sleep or anything. I'm pretty thirsty anyway, so it's a good time to get up."
I went ahead and shut off the alarm that had been about to go off. I'd wanted to check on Horikita anyway, so there wasn't a problem.
"Would you like to come with me? I was thinking the school's message should be coming pretty soon."
It was just before 20:30, then. Whether due to coincidence or fate, that just happened to be the time Horikita had been summoned to her meeting. I had no reason to refuse, so Hirata and I stepped out into the hallway, with me still wearing my jersey.
"The test seems really unusual. Well, that's just a feeling I have."
It seemed like Hirata already knew the test's specifics. I wondered if he'd heard about it from another student.
"I heard it from Yukimura-kun. He told me about it while we were eating. He told me all about the Rabbit group. It seems like everyone has been receiving explanations of the test. Several people have come to talk to me about it."
Yukimura didn't exactly like Hirata much, but maybe he thought telling Hirata would improve our chances of winning. If you understood the rules beforehand, it would be easier to glean more information when you were listening to the official explanation. Yukimura might have told Hirata in order to hear what Hirata thought afterward, and to see if there was anything new to think about.
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Of course, that was surprisingly bold. I'd have liked to follow his example and team up with a superior student.
"Did you notice anything, Ayanokouji-kun? If it's okay, I'd like you to share it with me."
"Can't really say. I haven't been thinking about the exam like you, Horikita, and Yukimura have. I'm not smart, either, so I haven't really noticed much." I tilted my head to the side, as if nothing sprang to mind.
I wasn't going to tell Hirata anything more.
"Well, I was wondering why the explanations are so…scattered. I thought maybe the school wanted to avoid the confusion and trouble that would come from explaining things in one large group, but after thinking about it, I don't believe it would take much more effort to announce the rules to everyone at once."
"Yeah, I think you're right, Hirata. It would definitely be more efficient to explain the test to all the students at the same time, rather than dividing us into groups and doing it in stages."
Hirata's doubts were right on the money. The school had adopted a clearly inefficient method. Perhaps we should consider why they would split us up, and for what reason. It was possible that our "thinking" was already being tested.
"I'm planning to ask the teacher about that later."
I wondered how things would shake out. Hirata normally acted on behalf of Class D. Considering he'd be lumped in with other classes, I couldn't imagine what he thought of these rules, or what he'd do about them.
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2.5
Hirata's meeting place was on the second deck, only one level below us. We took the stairs instead of the elevator. I saw quite a few students waiting around compared to earlier. Some of the students were leaning against the wall. Others were sitting down, fiddling around on their phones. They looked totally unprepared for the explanation they were about to receive.
"It doesn't seem like all of these people are in my group," Hirata said.
At a glance, it looked like there were close to ten people here. Considering the time, even if some part of the group had already been briefed, it did seem rather strange. Did this meeting have some other purpose? Were they all checking to see who belonged to which group? If so, they didn't need to spend all this time and effort. If you just talked to your classmates later, you could figure out the groups right away.
They glanced up as we passed, but then immediately went back to their cell phones, like they were in the middle of something. Sadly, I knew very little about the students from the other classes. I wasn't acquainted with most people I'd run into here, and I didn't know which classes they were all from.
"Who are those people?" I asked.
"That's Morimiya-kun, from Class A. And that one near the elevator is Tokitou-kun, from Class C."
Just how I'd expect a well-connected person to respond. I burned the names and faces of the students into my memory. It was a surprising number of people. Maybe they'd felt restless, and arrived early to wait. You know, like trying to get a table at a popular restaurant. I kept moving, thinking how easy this would all be if it operated like that.
When Hirata and I arrived, several guys and girls were gathered near the door. I also noticed a familiar face who'd received the same meeting time as Hirata. The meeting hadn't started yet, so we approached the line without making a fuss.
"Unless I'm mistaken, you're also in the group meeting at 20:40, yes?" 45
I heard a rather low, deep voice. Katsuragi, from Class A. He had an incredibly calm and collected demeanor for a first-year high school student. He was cool and composed, and had a good physique to boot. You could mistake him for a college student at first glance. Even though Class A boasted many excellent students, most had already acknowledged him as their leader.
"Yes, I am. And what exactly does that have to do with you?" answered the girl with long black hair, who faced Katsuragi without hesitation.
"I knew it," he said. "That's good news. I wanted to speak with you again. I'm also in the 20:40 group. Starting tomorrow, we will be working together."
Horikita Suzune stared back at Katsuragi. So Hirata had been placed with both Horikita and Katsuragi. Quite a team.
"You wanted to speak with me? Funny. Didn't you completely ignore me the other day?" she said.
During the test on the island, Horikita and Katsuragi had crossed paths only once. At the time, Katsuragi showed no interest in Horikita and hadn't tried to hold a conversation with her. However, the tables had apparently turned. Three guys who probably belonged to Class A grouped around Katsuragi, as well as two girls from either Class B or C. They listened in on the conversation from a short distance away.
"You're correct. I certainly haven't acknowledged anyone in Class D until now. However, considering the incredible results from the last test, it would be impossible for me not to pay attention to you. Wouldn't you agree? You laid the groundwork to win, and succeeded handsomely."
He probably never could have imagined that Class D would be triumphant. From Katsuragi's point of view, his contact with Horikita in front of the cave had all been a part of her strategy. Horikita had certainly made big waves within Class D, and the number of girls who admired her had increased over the last few days. Unfortunately, Horikita didn't exactly respond well to people who wanted to become friends with her. However, compared to how things had gone in the past, she'd hurt and enraged fewer people than usual. Her classmates now seemed to interpret her selfish demeanor as concern for the class.
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With that in mind, Horikita's refusal to become anyone's friend now came across differently. Interactions with her suddenly became more nuanced. Even if she gave them the cold shoulder, people didn't really take offense. If anything, they might've found it cute. Other classes now viewed Horikita as more than a superior student with good grades. Because of the results she'd garnered, they viewed her as a puppet master, a mastermind who worked behind the scenes. They viewed her as a threat, and were on guard around her.
"I don't know what the future might hold, but…should Class D overtake Class C, know that Class A would attack you without mercy."
"That's rather petty. From Class A's perspective, are we such a big deal? I mean, there's a significant gap in points between us."
"That's certainly true. However, we must be cautious. It's no laughing matter when those who have been perceived as weak and stupid begin to rise up. If one class manages to change its station, we must be vigilant. I would give the same warning to both Classes B and C."
There wasn't much we could do about being seen as a threat, though. Katsuragi's entourage collectively glared at Horikita. An ordinary girl would've burst into tears, but Horikita didn't seem intimidated in the slightest.
The situation appeared hopeless, until an unexpected arrival changed everything. The girls' faces instantly lit up as a boy walked quietly past us.
"I don't much like ganging up on people, or threatening other classes."
This was Kanzaki, a Class B student. Though he wore his hair rather long, he didn't come off like a slacker at all. He was an honest type. Although I didn't really know him personally, Ichinose—Class B's leader— seemed to trust him. Since Horikita and Kanzaki had faced off once before during our summer vacation, he knew of her incredible intellect.
"You don't need to waste time on Katsuragi. He's just trying to get to you." Kanzaki spoke like a gentleman to Horikita, even though they weren't on particularly good terms.
"You needn't concern yourself. Class D has always been regarded as inferior. I'd welcome any change in our reputation."
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"I see. It appears you feel we've treated you callously up until now. Certainly, many in my class have made light of Class D. However, your success on the island changed people's opinions." Despite his words, Katsuragi made a dismissive gesture, like he was brushing dirt off his clothes. "However, just because you got lucky and won by complete chance doesn't make us equals."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyone could accomplish something like that out of pure luck. It's better that you don't grow arrogant and behave foolishly after a win that came about by chance. Remember that the difference in our class points is still massive."
Well, that was true. Bridging the gap between us would still be difficult. Of course, Horikita understood that. She also knew that the island was my victory, but I'd refused to take credit for anything. Right now, Horikita didn't seem too happy to take the credit; she didn't love being in the spotlight. She'd mainly done it so other people wouldn't discover me. Really, it was all for my benefit.
"We haven't gotten into college yet. I don't think you and I are so different. The school arbitrarily divided us into different classes. Don't forget that."
Kanzaki, who'd been standing by watching this scene unfold, saw where all this was headed. "Hirata, looks like you landed in a troublesome group."
"Yes. Though if I'm with you, Kanzaki-kun, and Katsuragi-kun, struggle has to be inevitable."
"Oh, I don't think so."
"Hmm?"
Someone came up behind me and walked over to Kanzaki, then proceeded toward Horikita.
"Well, well. So many fish in this pond. I've come to take a look for myself."
"Ryuuen." Katsuragi's tone grew grim. Even Kanzaki stiffened. "Are you part of this meeting as well? Or were you just walking by?"
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"Unfortunately, it looks like I'm with you."
Three students followed behind Ryuuen. It was like Katsuragi's entourage, but also completely different, more like a king and his servants. They all wore terrified looks, and their movements seemed so docile.
"How about you put on a little show for me? What do you think of Beauty and the Beast?" said Ryuuen. He looked at both Horikita and Katsuragi, and let out a demented little chuckle.
In the face of this obvious provocation, Katsuragi stayed calm. "Well, I originally thought that our group would be comprised solely of students with a high level of academic ability. Now that you and your lackeys are here, I'm not so sure."
"Academic ability? How droll. That kind of thing is meaningless."
"That's a rather deplorable thing to say. Especially when academic success is the most important factor in determining our futures. You realize that Japan is often referred to as an academic society?"
Katsuragi struck back against Ryuuen's cavalier attitude with a sound argument. However, Ryuuen wasn't so easily convinced. He gestured to his crew, almost as if to ask, "Can you believe what this idiot is saying?" His minions agreed immediately, their response mechanical.
"I won't let you bring your awful attitude to this test."
"Hmm? Awful attitude? What in the world are you talking about? I can't possibly imagine. Can you perhaps tell me how I am, in fact, awful?"
"Well, it doesn't matter. Since we're in the same group now, we'll be able to talk at length."
For a minute there, I thought there'd be a huge showdown before the test had even begun.
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50
"Huh, Hirata-kun? Oh, Ayanokouji-kun, too? What are you all doing here?"
Kushida approached us, wearing a puzzled look. Apparently not everyone in Class D fully understood the parameters of the exam. Our class seemed to be one or two steps behind.
"Wait, Kushida-san. You're not meeting in the 20:40 group, are you?"
"Hmm? Group? I don't understand. I did get an email telling me to come here at this time… Wow, there really are some amazing people here, huh?"
Even though Kushida was somewhat taken back, she still showed respect for everyone gathered.
"Are you okay, Hirata? I think this is going to be an especially grueling battle."
"Don't worry. No matter who is in my group, I'll do my best."
Hirata was positive, as always. Kushida didn't understand the circumstances, but she was smart. By looking at the gathered people and listening to their fragmented conversations, she would begin to grasp the situation.
"Um, well. So, it feels like a lot of really difficult things are about to come our way," she said.
"Roughly speaking, yeah. You'd best mentally prepare yourself."
"Ah ha! Don't worry, it's okay! Like Hirata-kun said, all I can do is my best. Oh, I haven't really had many chances to talk with Katsuragi-kun and Ryuuen-kun yet. I'd like to get along with you all, too." Kushida spoke to everyone present without any anxiety, disgust, displeasure, or joy in her voice.
"If we're going to continue this pointless conversation, I'd prefer to just go inside. Besides, it's about time."
With those cold words, Horikita flipped her hair and turned her back on Ryuuen and his minions. I had to give it to her: Horikita didn't back down. Weak-willed people tended to lower their heads and ingratiate themselves into their group, no matter what. They would beg forgiveness if they were isolated or ostracized. But Horikita wasn't perturbed. She acted as she always
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did.
"Apparently, I don't need to worry all that much."
Of course, it wasn't clear exactly how far she'd get like that, considering who was in her group. Even so, I didn't think she'd get the wind taken out of her sails. That was just my intuition.
"Well then, good luck." I left Hirata with those sympathetic words. He had his work cut out for him from now on.
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53
Chapter 3:
An Infinite Variety
of Wishes
Breakfast time. I avoided the buffet that was popular with a lot of the students, and made my way toward the ship's deck. There was a café called Blue Ocean, which had hardly any students early in the morning. I took a table in the shaded back, where there weren't many people around. It was 7:55 in the morning.
Just one minute before the designated meeting time, the person I was waiting for appeared. She wore an emotionless expression, like always.
"You're rather early."
Horikita sat down next to me. She was the one of the very few people at this school whom I could call a friend. She was unusually talented, and a thorn in my side, because she knew something about my hidden life.
"I was waiting for an hour." I tried teasing her a little.
"That's not my problem, as I've still arrived before the designated time. Besides, how would I know if you'd been waiting even ten hours or more?"
It really wasn't easy to tease her. Pointless, actually.
Horikita wasn't good at chit-chat. After I gave her my information yesterday, she hadn't been able to reciprocate. All she did was propose we meet here. Was this some sort of trick? "So, did you get any more details?"
"Just what you already told me. There are twelve groups, and four outcomes. Also, the school said they would send the names of the VIPs via email at 8:00 a.m. today. Any minor differences in the explanations they gave us could be attributed to differences in the way teachers communicate."
"Who's in your group? How many people do you have?" I'd seen some of the lineup yesterday, but she knew that already.
"The list is honestly surprising. It's biased to the point where I can't imagine it's a coincidence."
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Horikita handed over a slip of paper, looking a little depressed. She'd written this down on her own notepad, and had memorized all the names. I took the list and looked it over. Her group name was Dragon. I understood what Horikita meant about bias when I looked at the names.
CLASS A: Katsuragi Kouhei, Nishikawa Ryouko, Matoba Shinji, Yano Koharu
CLASS B: Andou Saya, Kanzaki Ryuuji, Tsube Hitomi
CLASS C: Oda Takumi, Suzuki Hidetoshi, Sonoda Masashi, Ryuuen Kakeru
CLASS D: Kushida Kikyou, Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune
First, the Class D students, Hirata and Kushida: They were both excellent students, and representatives of our class. Excluding the fact that Horikita was far too much of a loner, she definitely had outstanding talents that let her stand shoulder to shoulder with the other two. To be perfectly honest, it was the strongest hand Class D could have dealt.
I'd thought they'd have at least one more person, but that wasn't the case. In terms of latent ability, Kouenji had an abundance, but he probably wouldn't contribute any of it to the team. I didn't know what group he was in.
"I see. This really seems like an inevitable grouping," I muttered.
Even if I just limited it to the names I knew, they had Katsuragi from Class A, Kanzaki from Class B, and Ryuuen from Class C. All class representatives. If you thought of their group like players in the qualifying rounds of a soccer league, they were the dream team, and this was a death match.
"But something feels unnatural," I added. I didn't really know many students, but it was somewhat unnatural for Ichinose to be in Rabbit and not Dragon.
"You mean Ichinose-san being in your group, don't you? I suppose only the Class B students know if she's really excellent or not. A leader's qualities and level of excellence aren't necessarily directly proportional," said Horikita.
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"Wait, are you talking about yourself?" I asked.
She glared, so I averted my eyes. However, Horikita did have a point. We didn't know the finer details of Ichinose's abilities. Perhaps her academic scores were unexpectedly low.
"From what we can deduce, I wonder if there's a certain method they're using to sort us into the twelve groups? Ayanokouji-kun, your grades are very similar to Karuizawa-san's. Are they grouping us based on our scores? Oh, but Yukimura-kun has high academic ability, and so does Kouenji-kun. They're at the top of the class," said Horikita.
She was taking our midterm grades and final exams into consideration.
"But there's probably a gap between me and the Professor, same as you and Hirata. There are too many details that don't fit the score theory."
If students were divided into groups based purely on grades, then Kouenji should have been at the top. Of course, I agreed that our grades were taken into account, but another variable was likely involved in the process. If at all possible, I would've liked to see the member lists of the other groups.
"At any rate, this is probably going to be difficult. Trying to lead the group and to outmaneuver everyone, I mean."
Well, when you had several high-ability people gathered together, the inclusion of the rather orthodox Horikita wasn't necessarily advantageous. She and Ryuuen were especially incompatible, like fire and water. I didn't like it; they were bound to clash.
But if I told Horikita that, she would probably be pissed. I decided to stay quiet. However, Horikita would probably work well with a straightforward person like Katsuragi. They both believed that intellect led to victory, so they'd get along.
"Well, it's just about time," said Horikita.
Once the clock struck 8:00, both of our phones beeped simultaneously. We immediately checked our phones. After we'd finished reading the contents of the message at almost the exact same time, Horikita turned her phone to show me the message. I did the same. We compared what was on each other's phones, confirming the finer details.
"After thorough consideration, you have not been chosen to be the VIP. 56
Please remember to be a team player as your group tackles the challenges of this test. The exam begins today, and will be held over a period of three days. Members of the Dragon group should gather in the Dragon room located on the second deck."
My message was almost the same as Horikita's. Of course, the name of the group differed, but everything else matched up perfectly.
"I suppose neither of us was chosen, then."
While putting our phones away, we shifted in our seats.
"No, we weren't chosen. I'm not sure if we should be happy or sad."
"Yeah. If you're chosen, then you could lead your group to any of the outcomes," I reasoned.
Being the VIP in this test placed you at an overwhelming advantage. If you kept up a good poker face, you could easily obtain 500,000 points.
"Even so, I don't like how they wrote it. It's like they're saying I'm not qualified to be the VIP."
Even though she was on the dream team, Horikita still thought of herself as working alone. That was just like her.
"In this test, there's a huge difference between the chosen students and the rest. Everyone who wasn't chosen will need to struggle to find the VIP. The school said there were no disadvantages, but that was a lie. Unless the VIP is in your class, there's a high probability that the point difference between classes will widen even further."
That was certainly true. Depending on how things went, the gap we'd managed to close after the first test might widen again.
"The leaders of each group should be coming up with a number of strategies already. If we don't decide early on how we're going to conduct ourselves, we probably won't recover."
"I understand," Horikita responded.
She gave me a slightly frustrated look. I was trying to figure out how to fight this battle. As I considered the members of my group, and the underlying mechanics of this test, the goal began to take shape.
"Are you thinking about the results?" asked Horikita, observing my 57
expression. She sounded hesitant.
"There are some things I can't yet see, like how some of the students I don't know will react. I won't know until I meet with them directly. But I thought of a way to lead us to victory."
Of course, we couldn't behave recklessly. I'd need to time my move properly, and everything would need to be set up beforehand.
"I look forward to your results," said Horikita.
"Me too. Can't wait to see what you do with your group," I answered.
But something about that message still nagged at me. "After thorough consideration," it had said. That odd choice of words wasn't by chance. Mashima-sensei had said something to the same effect. The VIP had been chosen based on certain considerations. There was something about the chosen that set them apart.
I couldn't get too hung up on phrasing right now. I knew that one person had been selected from each group. That meant there were twelve VIPs.
"For the sake of reference, who are you most wary of? Based on how things have been going, I wanted your thoughts," said Horikita.
Horikita's attention had shifted slightly. Since she was assigned to the most intense group, that wasn't surprising.
"Ryuuen," I answered.
"That was fast."
"There's no one else I'd choose," I replied.
"What about Katsuragi-kun? It's because of him that Class A managed to quickly hold down that prime spot on the island. Isn't he someone worth watching?"
"Of course. Considering he's only a first-year student, he's excellent. If you'd asked me who the most excellent student was, then Katsuragi would've been my answer. But if you're asking who I'm wary of, then it's Ryuuen, by a mile," I answered.
Class D had been victorious during the test on the island, without a doubt. Ryuuen had come up short in several ways. He'd telegraphed his
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intentions, so it ended up easy to get a read on him. However, it was highly likely that Ryuuen had read my intentions, too. I wanted to avoid him finding out that I was the one responsible for Horikita's success on the island.
"I'm curious about some things concerning the VIP's identity. Even after reading the message and thinking about it, did you notice any unnatural sounding phrases in the school's email? And the strict—" Horikita said.
I silenced her by pressing my finger to her lips. Speak of the devil—a shadow appeared before us.
"Nice weather, eh Suzune? You having breakfast with this clingy beta male?"
Two people approached us, each wearing an unsettling grin. One of them was Ryuuen, the very subject of our discussion. The other person was…
"I've warned you not to call me by my first name, Ryuuen-kun. Also, considering you were a turncoat who only pretended to be our friend, it's odd you'd show your face, Ibuki-san."
Beside Ryuuen stood a female student, Ibuki Mio. She had a somewhat cocksure gleam in her eyes. She also happened to be in the Rabbit group with me.
"…"
Ibuki seemed slightly disapproving of Horikita's light provocation, but didn't snap back. Instead, she bit down lightly on her lower lip. Ryuuen, watching things unfold out of the corner of his eye, flashed a satisfied smile. During the test on the island, Ibuki had infiltrated Class D as a spy. Eventually, Horikita had caught Ibuki red-handed, but ended up catching Ibuki's fist during their ensuing confrontation. Horikita firmly insisted that if she hadn't been ill at the time, she wouldn't have lost the fight, but right now, I wasn't really concerned about who was stronger.
Ryuuen silenced Ibuki. He appeared to be mocking us. "You should have received the message already. What were the results? Were you chosen as the VIP?"
"As if I would tell you. Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your message?" Horikita responded.
"If you wish." Ryuuen straddled one of the two vacant seats. "But 59
before that, I want to ask you something. How did you wrangle those results on the island test?"
"I have nothing to tell you," Horikita responded.
Horikita looked completely calm; she didn't shake or waver in the slightest. There was nothing false about her attitude, either. She had incredible acting ability. She probably didn't think she was acting, though. Even though she didn't show any weakness, Ryuuen wasn't convinced.
"I suppose you wouldn't give anything away, but that doesn't matter. According to my information, there's no way that your farcical bumbling on the island should've led to victory," said Ryuuen.
"I'm not so stupid that I'd let someone like her see through me. Things were simply more difficult because of my fever."
In responsive to that more blatant provocation, Ibuki could no longer hide her irritation. "In that case, let's have a rematch," she challenged.
Horikita kept her cool as Ibuki became more and more riled up. "Regrettably, I must decline your offer. Violent actions are considered a violation of the test rules. If you do happen to strike me, I will not hesitate to report it to the school. At any rate, please feel free to do whatever you please," she said flatly.
"Tch!"
Ibuki closed the distance between herself and Horikita, looking ready to lunge, but she stopped herself. If you thoughtlessly went on a ram here, you wouldn't escape punishment. More than anything else, though, Ibuki was working beneath Ryuuen. She didn't have the right to act freely. While Ibuki clearly detested Ryuuen, she was also exceptionally talented. That was likely the precise reason why Ryuuen had chosen her as the spy to infiltrate Class D.
"Since we're all together, how about we have some coffee? It seems a good time to enjoy a nice cup," Horikita offered.
She seemed in a strangely good mood as she ordered her morning coffee. I ordered the same thing. Ryuuen showed no signs of leaving, apparently wanting to continue the conversation. He continued to observe the silent Horikita, and opened his mouth once again when the coffee arrived.
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"Yesterday, it seemed Katsuragi was rather cautious of you," he said.
"Well, that's understandable. He couldn't have guessed that someone from Class D would do so well. Isn't that why you and Ibuki-san are here? You came to check on me. Am I wrong?" asked Horikita.
"Heh. Well, I won't deny that. I came here to measure your abilities for myself," he answered.
"Of course," Horikita answered, sipping her coffee. She seemed at ease, which was unusual.
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"Katsuragi and I think differently. When I'm dealing with someone, I like to keep an eye on them."
"You're free to do as you please, but what exactly are you thinking?" asked Horikita.
"I'm remembering the test on the island. The result. The process that led to it. There are only certain types of people who would've been able to conceptualize and execute a plan like that. A girl like you is far too serious minded to have come up with it," reasoned Ryuuen.
"Think whatever you like. Though I wonder…how did you figure out my strategy? You only saw the results of the test. How do you know the way in which points were gained and lost? Those details are supposed to be unknown," countered Horikita.
In response to Horikita's calm demeanor, Ryuuen flashed his teeth in curious amusement. "Katsuragi probably didn't know."
Based on how he'd said it, Ryuuen most likely did know.
"Well, why don't you explain it to me? If you're correct, I'll give you an answer. If you can answer, that is," Horikita added. Ryuuen just laughed unnervingly.
"At the end of the test, I wrote down your name as leader, but that was wrong. There's just one reason why that was wrong: Your class leader changed right before the test ended. The only explanation," mused Ryuuen.
"Do you think that was hard to deduce? Any idiot could have figured that out if they thought about it for a minute. Even Katsuragi-kun, who you've been making fun of," answered Horikita.
"Ah. However, Katsuragi thinks you planned the whole thing. But was that really the case? In my opinion, you becoming the leader and then retiring were both unexpected. Besides, I had my own strategy in place. I had Ibuki infiltrate your class to find out the leader's identity. You did nothing to counter that strategy at first," said Ryuuen.
"Is it possible that I'd simply taken the proper precautions? Preparing for the unknown is absolutely basic logic. The moment Ibuki-san met Class D, I took all possibilities into account. You were so confident, but your argument ended up being flimsy. You've said nothing surprising," responded
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Horikita.
"The key question is who replaced you as leader. Personally, I think the second leader was pulling your strings from behind the scenes during the entire test."
It was exactly as Ryuuen had said. Though he spoke to Horikita, he observed me quietly. If I appeared shaken for even an instant, he'd pounce.
"I'm afraid I can't understand you at all. I have no close friends. The closest I have would be Ayanokouji-kun here, and he's always dragging me down. I'd be hard-pressed to say that he's working with me. Sad, but true," answered Horikita.
By specifically drawing attention to me, Horikita had managed to make me seem useless. Well done.
"However, if we did change leaders, he wouldn't be the most likely candidate."
"I see." Ryuuen glanced at me, but quickly looked away. "Well, I suppose that's expected of a clingy tagalong."
"So now you understand. Though I wonder what basis you had for your hypothesis," said Horikita.
"That guy with you is considerably smart. Despite that, he hasn't achieved anything significant, or gotten high grades. He has some excellent qualities, though I have my doubts," said Ryuuen.
"You've investigated Class D rather thoroughly, it seems. Ayanokouji kun, we've been putting you down mercilessly. Aren't you going to defend yourself?" asked Horikita.
"I would if I had anything to defend," I responded. My lazy façade had become the perfect counterattack. I'm not exactly sure how he figured that out, but Ryuuen appeared to understand me. Maybe he'd spent time measuring my academic abilities, physical abilities, and even communication skills. Grades were objective and reliable. You couldn't deceive others with that information.
"Well, I'm sorry, but what you're saying is complete nonsense. It's a child's excuse, used because he's upset that he lost and needs to resort to fantasy. Does it embarrass you that a girl managed to see through your
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schemes?" asked Horikita.
"I see your point. I never imagined you'd trip me up. I'll admit it. The results of the test shocked me," answered Ryuuen.
Even though he'd admitted weakness, Ryuuen laughed. If anything, he acted like our actions had been almost irrational.
"Well, that's too bad. I love surprise attacks, foul play, and subterfuge. That level of strategy was totally unexpected, but your victory high will soon come to an end. Whether it's you, Suzune, or someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, you're stupid. You've already made your best move. Class D is one or two steps behind the other classes in points. The challenge will only heat up from here. You already played your trump card during the survival test, when the game was just getting started. You couldn't see what was in front of or behind you. I don't think you'll find this round as easy as last time. Tell that to whoever helped you ace the test," warned Ryuuen.
"My goodness, that was rather thoughtful," said Horikita.
"What can I say? I'm quite merciful."
"It sounds like you really want to believe that we have a secret weapon in our class," observed Horikita.
Ryuuen didn't answer. Even though he didn't have any evidence, he couldn't restrain from doubting Horikita. Ryuuen believed in himself more than anyone else. He refused to accept even the slightest hint of advice from others. He didn't appear to want to confirm anything during this encounter, only to chat with Horikita and pass the time amusing himself.
Ryuuen took out his phone and pointed it toward Horikita. He snapped a single picture, the shutter from his camera making a clicking sound.
"Don't take my photo without permission!" snapped Horikita. "Relax. Here, I'll show you," said Ryuuen.
Ryuuen looked at the picture he'd taken of Horikita, which showed her wearing a particularly sour expression. He put his phone away, looking satisfied.
"Someone in Class D other than you is quite clever. There's no mistake about that," he said.
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"Well, isn't that a good thing? I don't particularly care. Besides, if you just arbitrarily jump to conclusions, why bother badgering me to confirm them?" asked Horikita.
"A conversation reveals many subtle things. I'm glad I could talk with you, Suzune. It's a game to me. I'll discover who among you is making moves behind the scenes. Everyone, including your clingy friend here, is a target," said Ryuuen.
"Let me ask you something. I know it hurts that I saw through you, but why are you so fixated on me? Aren't you concerned about anyone else? Like Ichinose-san, or Katsuragi-kun? Going by the rumors, there's someone named Sakayanagi, too. Shouldn't the people in the classes above C be your concern? You should be able to at least answer that, I think," said Horikita.
Horikita was right to question him. Ryuuen's focus was downright obsessive.
"I already know their abilities, to some extent. Neither Katsuragi nor Ichinose is my enemy. If I wanted to crush them, I could do it any time."
"So what about Sakayanagi?"
Ibuki asked that, not Horikita. She wanted to confirm that information herself, apparently. Ryuuen, who'd been unflappable until now, was silent before responding.
"I'm saving her for the final course. It'd be a waste to eat her now. Let's go, Ibuki." Ryuuen stood and left with his lackey.
"You're a person of interest, Horikita," I mused.
"And who's responsible for that, hmm?"
"Are you upset?"
"Not really. It's just that I hate your sarcastic way of speaking. I've always aimed to reach Class A, so I assumed I'd be attracting a lot of attention," she answered.
"I'm glad to hear that. Well, at any rate, this doesn't seem good. Ryuuen isn't an ordinary opponent."
"Really? I think he just doesn't like that I found him out, and wanted to trick me into revealing the truth. I can't imagine he narrowed down the list of
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potential candidates to you. Besides, even if he knew your identity, you'd be the only one in trouble," replied Horikita.
I knew he suspected me, but that wasn't important. I didn't know what Ryuuen was thinking, but the fact that he showed up here was dangerous.
"I think we were being spied on. Him suddenly meeting up with us is too convenient," I said.
"Are you talking about Ibuki-san?"
"Maybe she was forced to keep an eye on us, or maybe she just happened to see us by chance. If that's the case, it would help us," I said.
Ibuki hadn't looked tired. Someone else may have been keeping watch, but Ibuki was likely involved, considering she was walking with Ryuuen. If I had to guess, Ryuuen was already implementing his new strategy, and using this test to do so. I was the first person to join up with Horikita. There probably weren't many people he'd suspect to begin with.
"A mistake," I muttered.
He'd seemingly meant to say that there was someone smart here, someone just like him, but that was a little easy. Our encounter may have given Ryuuen an even bigger hint than I'd imagined. Was I just being overly concerned about the test?
"You're overthinking things. No one thinks you're involved. Despite what he said, he thinks you're an ordinary person, considering your lackluster achievements in the first semester," said Horikita.
I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, but she certainly had a point. No matter how much Ryuuen investigated me, he would find nothing. Even so, because I was close to Horikita, I was undoubtedly being watched. At any rate, since Ibuki was in my group, she'd be an obstacle. It was going to be very difficult to maneuver.
Students started popping up here and there around us, and I stood up. "I think we're done for the time being. I'm still sleepy, so I'm going to head back to my room," I muttered.
Horikita appeared fine with that, like she didn't need any advice. "Discussion is likely useless from here on out. We'll go our separate ways. Anyway, excellent work. If you make any progress, give me a report."
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Despite being surrounded by powerful foes, Horikita was indomitable. Well, Hirata and Kushida would hopefully keep her in check. I'd head back to my room and sleep until the afternoon. Even though the test had started, I'd be useless until the time came.