4 - dogbark3 - FICOOL

3.1

"Sorry to keep you waiting! Urrp! Urp! If you eat three heavy meals

for lunch, you'll naturally have a full belly. I considered going on a diet, but

it seemed futile," said the Professor. He walked up to me while patting his

full belly, which was more swollen than usual. He met Yukimura and me

right in front of the appointed room.

"You're rather relaxed, considering the test has just begun. Me, I can

hardly eat."

"If you're not at full strength, there'll be trouble. It's like choosing a

higher difficulty setting in a video game, wouldn't you say?" the Professor

responded.

"Stop talking like that. It's weird," said Yukimura.

Of course, all the Professor's talk sounded like arcane magic to people

who weren't accustomed to nerd culture.

Once you got used to it, it was fine. However, if I tried joining in right

now, I'd probably antagonize Yukimura, so I decided to refrain.

"Oh ho! Hmm, dost thou not care for my linguistic idiosyncrasies?

Well then, Yukimura-dono, what wouldst thou like?" The Professor seemed

like he wanted to antagonize Yukimura.

"Whatever, I don't care. Just talk normal."

"From now on, I shall be like the protagonist who appears weak, but

secretly has massive strength. I normally have no motivation, but I'll become

a completely OP cheater with enough power to destroy the entire world. I

mean, I'm just following the current trends!" the Professor mused.

The Professor seemed like he wanted to become some mystery

character from a game or anime. I no longer understood what in the world he

was talking about. If we'd been in a gag manga right now, this would be the

moment when Yukimura's glasses would probably crack.

Yukimura stormed away from us. The Professor and I hurried after

him.

"Ayanokouji. There's something I wish to ask you. Please give me a

straight answer," said the Professor.

The Professor was talking like he was Takakura Ken or something, like

he really was the protagonist of a story. He even had the same brooding

expression. I had to hold myself back from instinctively calling him "Ken-

san."

"You want to ask me something?"

"I've considered what kind of speech patterns you might like. Of

course, a pleasant dialect that a cute heroine character uses would be good,"

said the Professor. He spoke in a very cool, stoic way, but his words were the

same as always.

"No, I don't have a favorite speech pattern or anything. Not especially,

anyway," I answered. For someone who was born and raised in Tokyo, I

didn't really know much about other dialects and the like.

"Have you perhaps encountered a speech pattern that felt moe?" the

Professor asked.

Who the hell possessed such a speech pattern, anyway? Well, I'd keep

talking to him for a little longer, since I wanted to kill time. "Well, Professor,

what about you? Do you have a speech pattern you like?" I asked.

"Of course. I'll rank them. In third place would be 'Even if you say so,

Kudo!' That's the old stand-by, the Kansai-ben! It tends to give a somewhat

tough or crude impression, but it's the obvious choice. It's an essential

dialect. In second place is the beautiful girl from a snowy country, the

Hokkaido-ben! When they say, 'Oh, sorry for the trouble, thanks,' and stuff

like that, it just makes me swoon! Those unique phrases are so moe they

make me want to die! It also gets points because it's not used very widely in

the 2D world!" exclaimed the Professor.

Uh oh. I had almost no clue what anything he said meant. But before I

was able to collect my thoughts on the matter, the Professor freely segued

into the final part of his announcement, using his lips to make a bizarre

drumroll sound.

"Dourururururururu... Coming in first place, jumping from little girls

to the older sister, the universal Hakata-ben! When I hear stuff like 'I like

ya!' or 'Ya like me?', it just sounds great! In addition to the wide variation

the dialect offers, you could also say that it's the broadest there is, even at its

core! Those are the best three by far!" the Professor shouted.

Unfortunately, he was talking in a language I didn't speak, but his

passion came through loud and clear. At any rate, we'd killed some time. We

arrived at a second-level room with a nameplate that read "Rabbit." The test

had just begun, so the hallways were packed with students. Even so, it didn't

feel cramped, most likely because the ship was so large.

"The time for screwing around ended yesterday. From here on out, we

need to fight for ourselves and for our classes." Yukimura directed that

statement toward the Professor, but I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Ugh. No matter how you look at it, we really do have the worst team."

Karuizawa entered the room, casting her eyes away from us. We had

eleven people, Karuizawa included, and all sat in chairs arranged in a big

circle. Given the low number of vacant spots, we were likely the last to

arrive. I didn't know everyone's names, but aside from Ichinose and Ibuki,

there was another student I recognized. It was the boy from Class A who I'd

bumped into completely by chance during the previous test, who'd proposed

that I betray Class D. I hardly recognized any of the other guys or girls.

Rivals up until today, we suddenly had to cooperate with each other.

Naturally, the other classes were puzzled as well, not just Class D.

Students mostly divided into natural groups based on their class, but

Karuizawa and Ibuki both sat a little further away, as if isolating themselves.

"Why did they...?" I muttered.

"What's the matter, Ayanokouji? Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing," I said.

I'd thought for sure that Karuizawa would confront Ibuki the moment

she saw her. After all, Ibuki Mio had stolen Karuizawa's underwear back on

the island. You'd think she'd want revenge, but... Well, maybe Karuizawa

was more mature than I'd thought, or maybe she'd already gotten her

revenge. In any case, it was all rather unnatural.

Before I could speak, a voice came through the ship's loudspeakers.

"The first group discussion begins now."

A short, concise announcement. Naturally, no one was taking the lead.

An awkward pall hung over the room. Then Ichinose Honami cracked a small

smile and stood up.

"Your attention, please! I don't know most of you, but I think we ought

to introduce ourselves. After all, there are probably people here who haven't

met before," she said.

It was just like her to immediately volunteer herself as the leader. It

wasn't easy to take initiative and pull a group of people together, no matter

how popular you were. The fact that we were enemies didn't make it any

easier, but Ichinose didn't seem to dislike her role. If anything, she seemed to

be having fun. Some of the Class A students appeared somewhat perplexed.

"Is it really necessary to introduce ourselves, though? I don't think the

school seriously meant that. I think it's fine if only the people who want to

introduce themselves do it, right?"

"Well, if that's how you feel, Machida-kun, I can't force you to do

anything. However, a microphone might have been installed somewhere in

the room to record everything we're saying, don't you think? If that's true, it

may not be an issue for just the people who don't introduce themselves. The

entire group might end up shouldering the blame," warned Ichinose.

She had a point. Individual non-cooperation here could be a problem

for everyone. Put like that, not even Machida could refute her.

Ichinose introduced herself first. I tried to put a little effort into my

self-introduction, remembering how I'd failed to introduce myself well

during the entrance ceremony. But in the end, my introduction was just as

monotonous.

"Hey there, Ayanokouji-kun. Looks like we're in the same group! I'm

looking forward to working with you," said Ichinose.

She probably meant to comfort and console me. I took my seat. Once

everyone had finished, Ichinose spoke again.

"Now that we've finished, how do you think we should proceed?

Please tell me if anyone disagrees with my taking the lead," said Ichinose.

Ichinose appeared ready for someone else to volunteer as leader. Of

course, whoever opposed her would have to publicly volunteer him or

herself. Some students might've been dissatisfied with how Ichinose handled

things, but since they likely feared being burdened with leadership, no one

raised their hand.

"Well, since it looks like no one especially wants the spot, I'll take the

lead. To begin with, I think if there's any point that people don't understand

or are worried about, we should all discuss it. If we don't, the situation will

get worse over time. Does anyone have any questions?"

Because people never want to speak up in front of a group and make a

fool of themselves, no one raised their hand. Ichinose put a hand on her hip

and smiled, undaunted.

"There's something I'd like to talk to you all about. I'd like you all to

assume that no one here is the VIP, and I'd like for us all to work together

and clear this exam. In other words, I want to know if you think our best

option is to pursue Outcome #1," said Ichinose.

"What the heck are you talking about? Isn't that obvious?" snapped

Karuizawa.

Karuizawa didn't understand, but with that simple question, a hierarchy

formed within the group. The dam had burst. Yukimura and a girl from Class

C named Manabe followed suit. They agreed with Karuizawa and said they

obviously wanted to cooperate. If everyone wished for it, we'd all pass the

test with Outcome #1. A natural thing to say.

In response, one of the boys from Class B raised his hand. His blue,

smooth hair swayed slightly. He was a thin, somewhat androgynous-looking

young man who'd introduced himself as Hamaguchi Tetsuya. "I agree, of

course. We're a group, and it's only natural for us to cooperate," said

Tetsuya.

This had been a good way to start things off. If Ichinose's question

sounded obvious to someone, that meant they weren't the VIP. The VIP

would be forced to lie, while checking to see if they shared the group's

feelings. If someone fell for it, then we could start narrowing down the list.

Of course, the situation wasn't that black and white. It would be

dangerous to assume anything based on this one question alone. Ichinose had

spoken first, and Karuizawa had agreed first. Yukimura and Manabe had

followed her closely. Then came Hamaguchi from Class B. It wouldn't be

surprising if one of them was the VIP. Boldly lying would divert suspicion,

after all.

I decided to jump in. "I agree, too. We're a group, like you said, and

we could all use some private points. If it's possible, I'd like us to work

together. What do you say, Professor?"

The Professor, who'd been rubbing his swollen belly, recoiled in

surprise when I called on him. "Of course I'll cooperate. I want points," he

answered.

It seemed the Professor was still trying to play the part of "mysterious

character," based on his answer. I'd never heard him use that tone of voice

before. The only ones who looked doubtful were the Class A boys. They

seemed to calmly analyze the situation, considering each individual

member's opinion.

"Ichinose, that question was unfair, wouldn't you say? If you say

something like, 'assume that no one here's the VIP,' aren't you subtly calling

the VIP a villain? Besides, no normal person would announce that they're

going to betray anyone."

Machida spoke these words with an air of suspicion. His response was

clearly different from those of Classes D and C. Machida seemed doubtful of

Ichinose, and ready to criticize her.

Hamaguchi calmly responded to Machida almost immediately. "Isn't

that a perfectly valid question, though? Ichinose-san didn't threaten us. She

didn't order us to answer. If you don't want to, you don't have to respond,"

he said.

Hamaguchi had coolly brushed aside all of Class A's criticism.

Apparently, a war of words was brewing. Machida wasn't fazed by

Hamaguchi at all. Rather, he spoke as though he'd expected it.

"That's most certainly true. In that case, I think all of us from Class A

will remain silent." Machida crossed his arms. The other two people from

Class A seemed to share his attitude. Everyone else who hadn't yet answered

decided to remain silent as well.

"Maybe that question was too harsh?" mused Ichinose. She smiled

bitterly.

"No, I think that your question was valid, Ichinose-san. Their wariness

is extreme. I'd like to ask you something, Machida-kun. What question do

you think would be appropriate? I don't think discussing our favorite foods or

hobbies would be relevant to the exam. If you simply refuse to engage, then

I'm unconvinced you can offer anything of value," Hamaguchi said.

"Nothing to offer? That's not the case at all," said Machida.

"I don't know specifically why Ichinose-san asked that question.

However, this test requires us to come to a solution through discussion. If the

students from Class A want to sit in silence, then we'll have to carry on

without you. At the very least, why not tell us what you think we should be

discussing?"

Hamaguchi was right. Machida knew this, but kept his arms crossed

and refused to answer. Ichinose looked like she was approaching a locked

castle gate. She readied her verbal battering ram.

"I'd rather not do this, but think of it this way. Sometimes we may need

to make decisions based on a majority vote. People will most certainly be

suspicious of those who don't want to answer the questions, and the group

might turn against them. What do you say to that?" she asked.

Ichinose's logic was similar to Horikita's, but the crucial difference

was that Ichinose could bring people together. Being able to take tactical

action while also gaining the group's approval demonstrated her powers of

persuasion. Since most of the people in this room were already on Ichinose's

side, she was the de facto leader. It was deceptively simple. I didn't know of

anyone else in our school who matched her talents. Not even Katsuragi or

Ryuuen could do the same. Even Hirata and Kushida might find themselves

outmatched, despite their overabundance of friends.

"Is that a threat?" asked Machida.

"Please don't misunderstand me. I just want to talk. You may answer

however you please, but I want everyone to step up to the plate in this test. In

other words, I want you to participate," said Ichinose.

Machida muttered to himself before snapping, "Will this test really be

settled through discussion, though? Will you really discover the VIP through

talking? Or are you going to bow your head and ask the VIP to help you?"

Apparently, Class A's policy had already been decided. But I didn't

think that Machida himself held the power. I sensed someone else behind

Machida, pulling the strings.

"Is there another way, then?" asked Ichinose. Nine times out of ten,

there wouldn't be. But Class A had apparently been waiting for her to ask.

"There is. There's a way to clear this test easily, and come out on top,"

Machida replied without the slightest hesitation or anxiety. Ichinose and

Hamaguchi couldn't hide their surprise.

"Would you mind enlightening us?" asked Ichinose.

"Of course. As a group, we ought to share valuable information," said

Machida.

Machida's fake altruism didn't fool anyone. He was talking about a

Class A strategy. Something extremely simple.

"I recommend that we don't discuss things at all," he said, speaking

loudly enough for everyone to hear. Karuizawa and the Professor appeared to

understand him easily enough.

"Well, that's a rather unique idea. How exactly will we come out on

top without discussing things, though? Do you think we should let the VIP

remain anonymous, and quit while we're ahead?" Hamaguchi spoke up,

looking mildly irritated.

"Yes. The shortcut to victory is to avoid extraneous discussion,"

replied Machida.

"I can't believe this. If anything, I'm starting to believe that the VIP is

someone from Class A. Are you just sharing information with the VIP and

taking measures to protect him or her?" Hamaguchi asked.

She had a point. Think about it. Let's say the VIP was someone in your

class. If you gave away that information, discussion would be pointless.

Hamaguchi's opinion was valid.

"It doesn't matter what class the VIP is in. You can most definitely win

if you don't talk. That was Katsuragi-san's proposal."

"Katsuragi-kun? I see," said Ichinose.

As soon as Ichinose heard Katsuragi's name, she seemed to

immediately understand. Machida politely explained in more detail to

Yukimura and the others, who still didn't get it.

"There are only four possible outcomes. You all should know what

those are. Consider. Which outcome do you think we should absolutely

avoid?" asked Machida. He turned toward Karuizawa, as if choosing her to

answer.

"Umm. The outcome where someone figures out the VIP's identity and

then betrays the group?" she said.

"Exactly. If a traitor emerges, that will be our downfall. Whether the

traitor discovers the person or not, we lose. But what if we flip things

around?" asked Machida. This time, he looked to Yukimura.

"There won't be any negatives, you mean?"

"Exactly. There are no consequences in the two remaining outcomes.

Our class points won't rise or fall much. However, we'd gain a lot of private

points. The only one who suffers in this scenario is the school. So there's no

need to try finding the VIP. If we talk, we'll start suspecting someone of

being the VIP, and then someone might make a mistake," said Machida.

"I do see what you're saying. But if we don't know which class the

VIP belongs to, the point gap between classes could be widened further.

What if the VIP's identity is extremely biased, and all VIPs are only chosen

from one or two classes? That class would get millions of points. Although

our class points won't be affected, I'm sure everyone understands the

importance of private points," responded Hamaguchi.

Hamaguchi was onto something. Private points were a hot commodity

at our school. They could be used like pocket money, but also could purchase

test grades. Depending on the situation, they gave you the power to do almost

anything except move between classes. Hamaguchi asserted that as long as

we didn't know how the VIPs were distributed between the classes, we

shouldn't carry out such a strategy.

However, his argument wasn't really going to work for Class A. After

all, we were dealing with Katsuragi, who must have realized the test's

"trick." Otherwise, he wouldn't have suggested this strategy.

"Think about it. The school wouldn't distribute the VIPs unfairly. They

hate unfairness so much that they emphasized their commitment to fairness

even before the test began. The fact that there is only one VIP in each group

is not that important. What's important is that all classes have equal

opportunity to produce VIPs. Otherwise, the test would be unfair right from

the start. Is that possible? No, it's not. After all, the previous test on the island

was fair, wasn't it? There's no doubt that Classes A through D are starting

equally," Machida responded.

Katsuragi proposed that the VIPs had been distributed fairly amongst

the groups. His plan was to let the test pass calmly so that all classes would

receive the same number of points. However, Hamaguchi wasn't done.

"It's certainly true that the school has made a point of emphasizing its

commitment to fairness. If we believe that, then you'd be right," he said.

The school probably wouldn't be so careless as to inadvertently favor

one class. That much was easy to guess.

"So you understand it now. If we talk amongst ourselves, we create

doubt, which will tear us apart. As a result, our relationship as a group will

crumble. We certainly could discover the VIP, but that strategy could inspire

a traitor who wants victory for him or herself. There's really no need for us to

overthink things," said Machida.

"I suppose so. It's not a bad thing if the school is the only loser,"

replied Ichinose.

Ichinose seemed receptive to Katsuragi's strategy. Machida looked as

if he'd expected her agreement, but Ichinose wasn't done.

"However, it's going to be unexpectedly difficult. It might even be

more difficult than solving the test through discussion. If you don't doubt

your partner, you won't betray him or her. All the first-year students would

have to adhere to that. Because the school guarantees the VIP's anonymity,

you're asking for trust amongst your classmates. It'd be great if the VIP

stepped forward and the points were shared equally with the class, but

couldn't the VIP just monopolize all of those points?"

"We in Class A have established complete trust amongst ourselves.

We're not at all worried about that. Private issues ought to be solved by that

private group," answered Machida.

Katsuragi's plan was to play defensively, almost like he was putting up

barriers. In order to pull off his strategy, he'd need the cooperation of

everyone in the group, a difficult proposition. However, it really was a simple

plan that anyone could pull off. All it required us to do was not talk. You

could say that this strategy was a way to break the test.

"Isn't Class A's strategy fine, though? I cannot say that I can find any

problems with it. Once the exam ends, the classes can talk amongst

themselves and share the points," said the Professor.

The Professor, for some reason, had gone back to using his normal

nerdy tone. Something must have resonated with what he said, because his

sentiment spread to Class C. A girl named Manabe shared his opinion.

"I agree. Everyone sharing the same answer would be the most

rewarding result, but if anyone lied or betrayed us, we'd be doomed. Finding

the VIP just isn't realistic."

Yukimura was lost in thought, but didn't seem opposed to the idea. At

least, he wasn't able to express an opinion. Conversation really posed a high

degree of difficulty. Machida, feeling lessened resistance, smiled and showed

off his white teeth.

"I see. So, do we agree it's as Machida-kun says? Each individual class

can deal with the problem after the test has ended?" asked Ichinose.

Arms crossed, she looked over Classes D and C.

"I'd like everyone's opinions. Would that be all right? First, those who

agree with the plan, please raise your hand."

Yukimura and the Professor raised their hands. All the students from

Class C, looking somewhat troubled, raised their hands as well, though some

took more time to think than others. Ibuki was the sole holdout, her arms

crossed as they had been since the beginning of the test. She didn't move.

She didn't speak.

"What about you, Ibuki-san? If it's all right, I'd like to hear your

thoughts as well," said Ichinose.

"Whatever. I don't really have anything to add," said Ibuki.

She clearly stood apart from the other three Class C students. Manabe

and the others didn't appear surprised by or suspicious of Ibuki. That must've

just been how she acted normally.

"I see. Well, what about you, Karuizawa-san?" asked Ichinose.

"I... To be completely honest, I'm annoyed. Even though you say we'll

get points, whether I get any points is a separate issue. But we may get points

even if we do have a discussion... I don't want to waste time fighting over

what we're doing. I just want this test to be over so we can have fun."

The other students seemed astonished by her response.

"What about you, Hamaguchi-kun?" asked Ichinose.

"We leave everything to you, Ichinose-san," he replied.

It seemed like the trust Ichinose's class had in her was unshakeable.

The other two students from Class B nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. Lastly, we have one more person to ask." Ichinose turned

to me. "What do you think, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"I mean, the strategy's fine. Besides, I think most people here agree,

and I've never been good at talking," I answered.

I promoted accepting the strategy. However, I doubted that Ichinose

would just accept Katsuragi's plan so easily. No, if she just gave up and went

with the flow, Class B would be headed toward a dark end. Katsuragi's

strategy was hiding something.

"It's decided," said Machida.

"Wait. Machida-kun. Katsuragi-kun's strategy certainly isn't bad. With

it, there's no need to doubt, lie to, or hurt anyone. In the end, we'd receive an

equal number of points. I understand the reason why many would follow this

plan. However, I want you to consider something carefully. I can't think of

any downsides to this strategy, but wouldn't you say that being in Class A

allows you to propose such a strategy? There may be downsides we don't see

yet," she said.

Ichinose's comeback was swift and incredible. She was like a

submarine everyone thought was deep underwater, only for it to suddenly

surface without so much as a splash.

"A hidden downside? What in the world could that be?" asked

Yukimura, sounding flustered. It didn't seem he'd considered that point yet.

"If we assume that the classes all have an equal number of VIPs, then I

do certainly think it's possible to earn a large number of points equally across

the board by not holding discussions. If that's true, this plan has only upsides.

However, wouldn't it be unfair to the lower level classes to make them throw

away this chance?"

"Well, that's—"

"We don't know how many special tests we'll have before graduation,

and the difference between Class A and the rest is remarkably clear. Class A

also proposed the extreme idea of aligning all the classes back on the island.

If Class A continues to recommend this strategy every time we have a test,

our class positions will never change," Ichinose continued.

After Ichinose pointed out that fact, Yukimura's face visibly stiffened.

It was like he wondered how he could have missed such a simple thing.

Machida had cleverly constructed his proposal to focus everyone's attention

only on the idea of "loss and gain." Yukimura had thought that option was

better because he couldn't see the bigger picture.

"I can't just throw away a precious opportunity. Not even if your

strategy yields solid results," said Ichinose.

"We agree with Ichinose-san," said Hamaguchi.

"Wait, Ichinose. I understand what you're trying to say, but if we

follow along with what you're proposing, there'll be only one possible

outcome. Only if everyone answers correctly will everyone in the group get a

large number of points. The outcome you want isn't going to happen. Or do

you intend to discover the VIP's identity through discussion, and then have

Class B betray the rest of us? You just asked everyone if they wanted the first

outcome. You aren't very trustworthy, wouldn't you say?" countered

Machida.

"You said this wouldn't narrow the gap between classes, but that's not

correct. There are four students from Class D, and four from Class C in our

group. There are three from B and three from A. In other words, if we clear

the test with the first outcome, it's possible for the lower classes to close the

gap between themselves and the higher classes, wouldn't you agree?" she

asked.

"That's true. But would B, a higher-level class, accept such a thing?

There's no benefit to sacrificing your class so that the classes below gain

something," Machida said.

"If we don't follow my strategy, we let Class A lead unopposed. It

would be especially hard in the event that the VIP happened to be in Class

A," responded Ichinose.

Of course, if the VIP wasn't in Class A, Ichinose wouldn't need to risk

hurting her own class to deal a blow to Class A. However, if it was a

possibility, she had to insist on establishing a dialogue.

"I agree. We can't allow Class A to keep securing the lead," added

Yukimura.

Katsuragi's proposal had surprised me, but Ichinose and Hamaguchi's

arguments made it seem like nothing more than a flustered attempt at a bluff

—something they'd come up with on the spur of the moment. Ichinose's

understanding of Class A allowed her to turn things around with just a few

words. The students who had once agreed with Class A's plan were now

mostly either neutral or aligned with Ichinose. Classes C and D were now

more likely to follow her. It was like a duel between Class B, led by Ichinose,

and Class A, led by Machida. Right now, the tide was turning in favor of

Class B.

"So, you oppose our proposal. Please remember that Class A has

already committed to its decision. No matter what, we will discuss anything.

You may talk amongst yourselves about whatever you wish," Machida

answered.

As a demonstration of their separation, the three Class A students stood

and went to the corner of the room. It looked like they planned to spend the

rest of the time doing what they wanted. I was betting that the other Class A

students in other groups were probably doing the same thing. Katsuragi's

strategy was the ultimate defensive move: something that would keep all of

Class A behind a gate. If a VIP happened to be in Class A, it would be

exceptionally difficult to find him or her.

"Now then, what should we do?" Ichinose faced the other three classes,

who were still sitting around in a circle. "I wanted to avoid excluding anyone,

but there's nothing we can do if that's your class policy. If you want to

participate, just let me know," she said gently.

However, the Class A students had already lost interest.

"Isn't it going to be impossible to find the VIP without their help?"

asked Yukimura, flustered by the sudden change. It sounded like he was

complaining to Ichinose.

His attitude had changed from a few moments ago, when he was ready

to go along with the more convenient Class A plan. Even Yukimura had

wanted to avoid Class D getting the short end of the stick.

"Yes. If Rabbit's VIP is in Class A, trying to narrow down the list of

suspects won't be easy. But in terms of sheer probability, there's a three in

four chance that the VIP's in one of the other classes. Besides, even if we

don't know who the VIP is, if we at least know where that person is, we'll

have some options. Right?" asked Ichinose.

She didn't seem focused on finding the VIP right off the bat. Instead,

she wanted to first narrow down which class the VIP was in. At least, she

wanted to know for sure if he or she was in Class A.

"Well, since they won't talk to us, this is going to be difficult.

However, if the VIP does happen to be in one of the other three classes, I

think everything should be fine even if they don't out themselves. However,

if the VIP's in Class A, what do you think we should do?" Ichinose was

boldly striking back against Katsuragi's strategy. She was trying to form an

alliance.

"I can't trust you," muttered Yukimura.

After Yukimura rejected the offer, Manabe from Class C spoke up and

also refused Ichinose's plan. "Even if the VIP's in Class A, would we be able

to identify them? Wouldn't that be difficult?" she asked.

"I don't think it's necessary for us to think that far ahead. Let's just

start by finding out which class the VIP is in," replied Ichinose.

From the VIP's perspective, three classes coming together to find you

was probably terrifying. If they were on their own, or if they had a friend

from another class, they really should consider the idea of cooperating with

the search in order to blend in.

"This is just a spur-of-the-moment idea. If we work together, we'll

come up with even better ideas later. The test's only just begun. I think it

might be better to wait a bit and take our time before deciding whose plan

we'll move forward with," Ichinose added.

Those who'd rejected both Machida's and Ichinose's plans had no third

option. As Hamaguchi had said, it wasn't fair for people to complain without

first suggesting a plan themselves. At any rate, I decided to lay low until I

saw how others acted. People with low communication skills tended to be

highly reactive; they'd act before thinking. I couldn't afford to get impatient.

"Hey, you're Karuizawa-san, right? There's something I wanted to ask

you," said Manabe.

Karuizawa quickly looked up from her phone screen. She hadn't

expected anyone to talk to her. "What?" she asked.

"I might be mistaken, but...did you have a fight with Rika earlier in the

summer?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Who's Rika?" asked Karuizawa.

"She's a girl from our class who wears glasses. She has her hair up in a

bun, like a dango. Remember her?"

"I don't know her. Maybe you're thinking of someone else."

Karuizawa lowered her eyes back to her phone, as if deciding this

conversation had nothing to do with her. However, the next words out of

Manabe's mouth changed things.

"Isn't that strange, though? I'm sure we heard about it. We heard that

Rika was bulled by a Class D girl named Karuizawa. Rika told us you cut in

line and pushed her aside when she was waiting at the café."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Like, do you have some kind

of problem with me?" asked Karuizawa.

"No, not really. I'm just checking to see if it's true. If it is true, though,

I'd like you to apologize. Rika is the kind of girl to bottle everything up and

stay quiet, so it's up to us to help her deal with situations like this."

Apparently Karuizawa had a reputation as a troublemaker outside our

class as well. Class C was hard to deal with as a whole, so this made for big

trouble ahead. Karuizawa decided to ignore Manabe. Manabe, looking

frustrated, turned her phone's camera toward Karuizawa.

"You won't mind if we check with Rika then, will you? I mean, if it

wasn't you, Karuizawa-san, then there won't be any problem, right?" asked

Manabe.

Karuizawa looked up and knocked the phone out of Manabe's hands.

She must have done it more forcefully than she thought, because Manabe's

phone tumbled to the ground, spinning as it fell.

"What the hell?!" shouted Manabe.

"That's what I should be saying! Don't just take pictures of me without

permission. I already told you that you had the wrong person," Karuizawa

snapped.

Both sides claimed the other was wrong. The conflict was heating up.

Ichinose watched it unfold, a bystander. It was as if she was trying to

determine who was right and wrong.

"What'll you do if my phone's broken?" shouted Manabe.

"I don't know! Just ask the school for a new one," answered

Karuizawa.

"I have some really precious photos stored on that phone, though."

After hurriedly picking up her phone, Manabe glared at Karuizawa

with resentment. Two of the other Class C students, who'd been watching the

situation unfold, came to help Manabe stare Karuizawa down.

"What? Are you saying I'm the bad guy here?" asked Karuizawa.

"If it wasn't you, you wouldn't get all angry and deny it like that, right?

Let us take your picture," said Manabe.

"But I don't want you to."

I thought that Karuizawa would've answered Manabe more forcefully,

but her words were surprisingly weak. Or rather, there was some fear mixed

in with her "tough girl" act. It might've been my imagination, though.

"Perhaps the reason you're denying it so much is because it's true?"

asked Manabe.

Manabe pointed her phone's camera at Karuizawa, as if intending to

forcefully take her picture. The other two girls from Class C laughed like they

were enjoying it. However, Ibuki didn't share their sentiment. She looked

scornfully over at Manabe, showing her contempt.

"Stupid," said Ibuki.

"'Stupid'? What? This has nothing to do with you, Ibuki-san. You're

not friends with Rika, after all."

"That's right. This absolutely has nothing to do with me. So I said what

I thought as an outsider."

Ibuki crossed her arms and looked away. Manabe didn't appear to care

for Ibuki's attitude at all, but did not confront her. There was probably a

clearly established hierarchy in Class C, and Ibuki was above Manabe.

"Anyway, just let me take your picture!" shouted Manabe.

"No, I don't want you to! Come on. Please, say something to her,"

Karuizawa pleaded. For some reason, she turned to Machida, begging him to

intervene. "I won't forgive you if you take my picture without permission.

What do you think, Machida-kun?"

"I agree. Manabe, Karuizawa has told you that she doesn't want you to

take her picture. Stop it," Machida added.

"M-Machida-kun, this has nothing to do with you," answered Manabe.

"From what I've heard just now, I think you're the one in the wrong

here, Manabe. Karuizawa told you she doesn't know what you're talking

about, so it's wrong for you to forcefully take her picture. Don't you agree?

I think it's best to talk to your friend again and confirm if the story is true."

Judging this situation fairly, Machida was correct. I certainly

understood Manabe's feelings in wanting to take the picture to ascertain the

truth, but if the person tells you no, taking a picture without permission is

rude. Confronted with that argument, Manabe and the other girls had no

choice but to back down, though Manabe didn't seem wholly convinced.

"Come on, lay off me. Thank you, Machida-kun," said Karuizawa.

Karuizawa looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude. Even though the

Class A students had distanced themselves from the rest of the group, they

weren't bad guys at all. Takemoto and the others didn't appear to be too

interested, though.

"All I did was the right thing." Machida blushed slightly.

Perhaps this was the beginning of a new love? Karuizawa already had

Hirata, though. Regardless, I got the feeling that the friction between

Karuizawa and those Class C students would spark some real problems down

the road.

3.2

In the end nothing was settled, but at least we'd spent the hour in

discussion like we were asked to. The announcement came that we were free

to go. The students from Class A all gathered together and left right away.

"Well, you're free to do whatever you like," they told us.

After they'd marched out the door, silence enveloped the room once

again. Ichinose had dismissed Katsuragi's strategy, but hadn't managed to

reach a new resolution. Was she hiding something else up her sleeve? Or was

she thinking of something else, perhaps? Let's see what you've got, Ichinose.

"Well, we have five more discussion periods left. How about we bring

this session to a close?" Ichinose spoke kindly.

The consensus seemed to be that it was better to spend some time on

our own before meeting up again to discuss. We'd all taken in quite a bit of

information and hadn't had the time to process just yet. At the very least, the

Class D members were exhausted. The Class C students seemed to be in the

same boat.

"Well, I'm going to head back—Aaah?!"

Karuizawa, completely exhausted, got up to leave but accidentally

pitched forward. Perhaps her legs were numb from sitting for so long.

"Ouch!" shouted Manabe.

In a panic, Karuizawa had attempted to correct her footing, but

staggered and stepped on Manabe's foot.

"Ah, I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry," Karuizawa mumbled,

apologizing quickly before leaving the room.

"Hey, what the hell?!" shouted Manabe. She yelled at the rest of us as

we left. I didn't want to get caught in the middle of anything, so I averted my

eyes and got out of there.

"Well, we're heading back, too. I want to talk to Hirata about some

things," I said.

The other classes were already making their moves. Yukimura seemed

like he wanted to hurry up and start a discussion about our own strategy. To

be honest, our class didn't boast a ton of competent planners, so it was a

difficult decision. The Professor stood up slowly. In the end, the last people

left in the room were the three Class B students and Ibuki.

"I'm hungry again. I wonder if there's a lunch buffet," mused the

Professor.

How could he already be hungry again? What kind of body lets you

digest all that food in just an hour?! Besides, if you eat that much, you'll get

fat. I kind of doubted that my heartfelt advice would reach him, though.

"Hey, Yukimura. Wasn't Karuizawa acting strangely?" I asked.

"She's always acting strangely," he replied.

Well, that was a straightforward and honest response, but not exactly

what I wanted to hear. I wasn't sure what, but something felt off about her.

Maybe I didn't really know her at all...

The Professor didn't seem to have noticed anything in particular. In

fact, he forgot it'd even happened. My phone had been turned off in the room

so I wouldn't be distracted. I turned it back on as we left, and noticed an

instant message from Sakura. She wanted to meet if we had time.

"Hmm. Perfect timing," I murmured.

I wanted opinions from people other than Hirata and Horikita. I wanted

to hear what they thought about this strange test. I'd probably gain insight

after learning more about Sakura's group.

"Let's see, where should we meet?" I asked aloud.

I thought the same place as yesterday should be fine. When I pitched

that idea to Sakura, I immediately received a confirmation. There were going

to be lots of students around right now, but they probably wouldn't pay any

attention to us. Loners learned the art of dealing with crowds.

Since the first group discussion had just ended, the elevator was going

to be intensely crowded. Because only about ten people could ride at a given

time, it'd be faster to just take the stairs. I made my way toward the deck. On

the way, I received a new instant message:

Since there are so many people around, I'm going to head to the bow

instead. I'm sorry.

"Ah. Guess she couldn't deal with the crowds after all."

I made my way toward the bow. The ship's interior had many

luxurious facilities, but toward the bow there was only a large deck, which

provided a good view of the water. Because of that, it was usually quiet.

There didn't seem to be anyone else around, which meant I had the entire

deck to myself. Sakura was waiting for me, standing behind a pillar in the

corner. Deciding not to shout in case I spooked her, I approached slowly.

"I was thinking about it, but...h-how do I do it?" she murmured out

loud.

Hmm? As I drew nearer, I heard Sakura muttering to herself. She spoke

in a quiet voice, and it was hard to hear her over the wind. I couldn't make

out what she was saying too well.

"I-I...wanted to...d-d-d-da..." she stammered.

I thought she might be talking to someone, but there was no one else

around. She didn't seem to have her cell phone out, either, so the whole thing

was a little creepy.

"Sakura? What's the matter?" I asked, trying not to surprise her.

"Aaaieeeeeeeeeeee!" Sakura yelped, practically jumping out of her

own skin. Seemed like I'd surprised her after all. "Wh-wh-when did you get

here? How much did you hear?" she asked frantically.

"I didn't really hear anything. I just got here now."

No one else was around. She was like a frightened little animal.

Had Sakura been talking to a ghost, or had she lost her mind? I wasn't

sure which.

"Were you listening?! Did you hear what I was saying?!" Sakura

shouted.

"I only heard bits and pieces. I have no idea what you were talking

about," I said.

Sakura appeared relieved.

"So, why did you call me out here?" I asked.

"Um, well. You see, it's...ah... I was s-stressing out over the test!" she

shouted.

Sakura, looking incredibly depressed, handed me a list. I read over the

names written on it.

CLASS A: Sawada Yasumi, Shimizu Naoki, Nishi Haruka, Yoshida

Kenta

CLASS B: Kobashi Yume, Ninomiya Yui, Watanabe Norihito

CLASS C: Tokitou Hiroya, Nomura Yuuji, Yashima Mariko

CLASS D: Ike Kanji, Sakura Airi, Sudou Ken, Matsushita Chiaki

It looked like the other Class D students assigned to the Cow group

were...intense. Considering the boys in her group, like Sudou and Ike, I

couldn't help but feel sympathy for Sakura. During this test, you had to spend

time with the other members of your group no matter what. I'd have liked to

help her out a little bit, but there was nothing I could really do. Once it was

time for the groups to come together, we had to be part of our teams. We

couldn't afford to be scattered. I could help her secretly, but if I acted

unnaturally during the test, someone would immediately notice. In a test like

this, breaking the rules could mean death.

"I thought I might know someone from another class but...amazingly

enough, I don't know anyone. No one who would remotely consider me a

friend," said Sakura.

I tried thinking about it, but the only people who could help were

Ichinose and Kanzaki. But since Ichinose was already in my group, she was

stuck. I couldn't really leave it to Sudou or Ike to take care of Sakura, either.

"Sorry. I don't really have any friends, either," I said.

"Ah, it's okay. You don't need to apologize. It's just that...I don't have

any friends!" Sakura responded.

This was a pathetic conversation, the two of us competing to see who

was worse off. Rather than take pride in our lack of friends, I changed topics.

"By the way, there was something I wanted to ask you, Sakura."

"Huh? Me? What is it?"

"Has Yamauchi gotten in touch with you at all since the discussion

ended?"

"Yamauchi-kun? No, he hasn't. Is something the matter?" she asked.

"Ah, I see."

During the test on the island, I'd indirectly used Sakura while I was

also using Horikita. I'd manipulated Yamauchi by taking advantage of his

crush on Sakura, promising him Sakura's email address. Of course, I hadn't

intended to give Yamauchi her email address without her permission, but I

hadn't talked to him about it yet. I was worried that he might've reached out

to Sakura in the aftermath, but apparently it was all right. Since I'd planted

the seeds myself, if Yamauchi made a move, I would have to act.

"For the time being, contact me if something's bothering you. You can

tell me anything," I said.

"Is that okay?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah. That's the least I can do."

Even though I didn't know how much help I'd be, Sakura's eyes

sparkled like a child's. Maybe she was just glad to be able to talk to someone.

"I'll definitely contact you!" she said.

"S-sure," I responded.

Sakura was a little different from her usual self. She was overjoyed,

and had a bit more vigor behind her words than usual. Maybe she was

becoming a little more assertive or something? Even though only a few days

had passed since the test on the island, Sakura was developing quickly. It had

been an insane test, but maybe it changed her life in unexpected ways. She

hadn't transformed completely, but I sensed she had learned to stay positive

and keep going in a tough situation.

3.3

"Aaaaaaayaaaaaanooooookooooouuuuujiiiiii!"

As soon as I went back inside the ship, a shadow loomed over me. I felt

hands grabbing me, and the mystery assailant tightened his grip on my neck. I

frantically tapped his arms, but he showed no sign of loosening his grip. I

thought that was it for me for a moment. After I shook myself free, I quickly

turned around and saw the face of my attacker. It was Yamauchi Haruki,

looking like some sort of oni or an asura.

"Wh-what's the matter?" I knew the reason, but asked as a formality.

"'What's the matter' my ass! You said you'd tell me Sakura's email

address, for chrissakes! And you were talking with Sakura just now! I knew

it. You were after her all along!" he shouted.

Apparently, my luck was terrible. I needed to think of something. "I

never meant to go after her. Well, this is kind of hard to say, but...I lied to

you before," I croaked.

"Wait. You lied?"

"Do you really think that a loner like me would know Sakura's email

address?" I turned toward him, trying to show my sincerity.

"So... Wait, so just now you were trying to ask Sakura for her email

address?"

When I nodded, Yamauchi looked shocked and fell to his knees.

"So... You didn't know her email address at all, Ayanokouji. You lied

to me?" he sputtered.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"So how'd it go? Did you get Sakura's email address?"

"Er, sorry."

"Sorry? What does that mean? I'm not looking for an apology, I'm

looking for her email!" Yamauchi muttered to himself, reflecting the depth of

his disappointment. "How are you... How dare you trick me!" he shouted.

I did feel bad for tricking him, certainly, but I couldn't give him

Sakura's contact information without her consent. Since he had obvious

ulterior motives, I really had to refuse. "Can you give me just a little more

time?" I asked.

"More time?! 'Show me a liar and I will show you a thief'!" he

shouted.

I never would've expected a Class D student to throw out a proverb

like that. I was shocked. "Then are you going to make Sakura tell you?" I

asked.

"Yeah, that's right."

He was probably blinded by anger. It seemed like he intended to get

Sakura's contact information by force, if necessary.

"You know, Sakura said she hates guys that are all talk."

"You mean guys like you, Ayanokouji?!" he shouted.

"Of course she hates me. But it should be obvious why I couldn't give

you her contact information. I don't want you to make the same mistake I

did, Yamauchi. If you forcibly asked her, it wouldn't go anywhere. It'd be

pointless."

"You're just making excuses. You never knew her info in the first

place." Yamauchi lowered his head.

"Yeah. And I'm sorry. But I know for sure that she doesn't hate you," I

answered.

"But what the hell should I do?" he asked.

"Did you know that Sakura loves digital cameras? I've heard that her

camera doesn't work, and she doesn't have enough points to buy a new one.

But what if you got one for her, Yamauchi? If you gave it to her as a

present?" I asked.

"Oh, she'd be happy, for sure, but...I don't have any points, either."

"Well, there a few options in this special test. If you were the VIP and

managed to make it through without being found out, or if you became a

traitor and sold out your group, or if you managed to guide your group to

clear the test, you'd get enough points to buy tons of digital cameras. Right?"

"So if I do my best, there's a chance I can get a new camera for

Sakura?" he asked.

Yamauchi was about to burst. He could see the solution to his

problems.

"Now, Yamauchi Haruki, you need to achieve real results. Work hard,

and show Sakura how manly you are. Only then would you be a guy who

deserves to go out with a former idol."

Whatever his ultimate goal, Yamauchi clearly had a crush on Sakura. If

I gave him the right stimulus, he could unearth greater potential.

"I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it! I'll give it everything I've got

and win Sakura!" he shouted.

"That's right, Yamauchi. You can definitely do it."

"Yeah! I'm definitely going to win!" he shouted.

I'd managed to redirect his energy into participating in the test. If he

didn't get anything out of this, his bitterness and rage might return toward

me, but this was a temporary fix. Well, if we managed to secure a surprise

victory, everything would be fine...though if Yamauchi was too fired up, he

might let the target slip past him. I worried that he could miss the VIP

completely.

"Let me tell you something, just in case..." I started. I wanted to urge

Yamauchi to be careful, but then refrained from doing so.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just do your best. But if you find the VIP, don't let the other

classes beat you to the punch, okay?"

"Of course."

If Yamauchi missed the target by mistake, that would probably be fine.

The bigger picture was more important than the short term, anyway.

3.4

Because only Class A had been promised advancement into higher

education or employment upon graduation, we'd never gain their

cooperation. Classes B and D had joined hands to defeat Classes C and A, so

Classes C and A had likely formed an alliance to defeat us in return. What

would happen when the classes came together? It would be dangerous, like

putting carnivores and herbivores together in the same cage. It was almost

impossible to organize such a group. If people with strong character like

Hirata and Ichinose took the lead, it might work. Even then, it would be

absurdly challenging.

Class A didn't participate in the discussion during our second

gathering, either. Of course, with one class absent, we couldn't really speak

frankly, so we had to kill time. I was interested in how students from the

other classes would act, but the instability already had everyone holding their

breath. We were all so on guard that it was impossible to be candid.

"Well, this is the second time we've gathered like this. Don't you think

we should start having open, honest conversation? We'll only meet so many

times," reasoned Ichinose.

Of course, Ichinose had taken the lead and got things moving. As

expected, she wished for peace. Hamaguchi and the other Class B students

were exactly like that, too. They were ready to make alliances without

hesitation. It was like how Hirata operated. They were similar, but still

fundamentally different. Ichinose and her friends should have been striving

for a Class B victory.

Last time, people were flippant, but now things had changed. The

atmosphere was oppressively gloomy. Everyone was jumping at shadows and

incredibly wary. However, the three Class A students weren't bothered by

anything, freely tapping away on their phones. There wasn't any rule against

contacting other groups, after all. They could even talk on the phone.

Well, the old saying was true: the rich are rich, and the poor, poor.

Class A was winning the interclass competition by a landslide, so they had no

reason to be worried. I thought their loss during the test on the island

would've changed them, but Katsuragi had them maintaining their calm

image. It was an exceptionally effective strategy.

Anyway, it wasn't going to be easy for a lone wolf like me to break

down Class A's walls.

"I don't think we need a breakthrough right now, but we do need a

discussion. Class A might be breaking away from this test, but I think we

need to pinpoint the VIP," said Yukimura.

Yukimura's words helped motivate us somewhat. If the VIP was in

another class, we couldn't afford to let this chance slip by. Or perhaps he was

the target, and Yukimura was suggesting this as an attempt at camouflage.

"But can we really find the VIP by talking? I just don't think we can.

It's just, like, this test is so unfair. It's too hard. The VIP has way too much of

an advantage," said Karuizawa.

"I understand, Karuizawa-san. But doesn't that just depend on your

point of view? I mean, the test on the island was also a surprise to the

students," said Yukimura.

"Sunrise?" Karuizawa looked puzzled.

"If it's Sunrise, leave it to me! That's my specialty. I'm fired up!"

shouted the Professor.

No, I thought. No, they said "surprise," not "Sunrise."

"You know, life on a ship's not bad. It's really fun, right? Even though

we have to get together twice a day, we're still free to chat and use our

phones. It's not like class," said Ichinose.

"Well, yeah. It is pretty fun," said Karuizawa.

"Right? So, that's why we need to get more comfortable. We need to

talk like we're all friends. Don't you think it's hard, putting up walls like

that? Machida-kun and the others always look so stern, you know?"

Ichinose had a point. This was all an issue of perception. If you stayed

positive, the test would be easier.

Machida, who'd been listening to Ichinose's optimism, let out a

snicker. "You're free to do whatever you want, but you probably won't find

the VIP. I don't know who the VIP of our group is, but if the VIP doesn't

share information, they may be devising a way to gain points for themselves.

They're probably staying hidden on purpose. Besides, the VIP might be in

Class B, right? How can you trust these guys?" he asked.

He was trying to shake us all up.

"But couldn't I say the same thing of you, Machida-kun? Can you

really trust your allies?" asked Ichinose.

"Of course I can."

Machida looked at the student next to him, named Morishige.

However, he quickly focused again on Ichinose, projecting the usual calm,

Class A image.

"We have no reason to fuss over finding the VIP. We have more than

100,000 points deposited into our accounts every month. No one in our class

would lie just to get a mere 500,000."

"Really? You know what they say: An ounce of prevention is worth a

pound of cure. Are you trying to tell me that no one in your class would want

even one extra point? It's not like the school will be bothered if you get

more," replied Ichinose.

"That's stupid. Go ahead and keep being delusional. You're just

grasping at straws."

Ichinose smiled at Machida. She'd certainly gotten a response out of

him. Even though Machida said he wouldn't participate in the discussion,

he'd taken Ichinose's bait. If he started talking, we might pull information out

of him. By using Yukimura and Karuizawa, Ichinose had started collecting

information. The only problem was, when would Machida notice her ploy?

Karuizawa sighed and went back to fiddling with her phone. While

there wasn't any rule prohibiting phone use during the test, doing so while we

were trying to find the VIP was a little rude. Or maybe she was like the CIA

or FBI, communicating with Hirata in real time so he could listen to our

conversation? I'd respect her if that were true, but it probably wasn't the case.

Of course, knowing that Karuizawa didn't usually put serious effort

into anything, this wasn't out of character. But something felt off. It felt like

something had been off ever since the test started. Karuizawa; the reunion

with Ibuki; confronting Manabe.

I realized that none of the things she'd been doing lately seemed like

the "usual" Karuizawa. She was a strong presence in Class D. Whatever her

reputation, she and Hirata often brought the class together. But here, she was

practically a background character. She had the potential to motivate others,

and she wasn't using it. When someone spoke to her, she would answer and

then immediately shrink away. Hirata was always Hirata, no matter the

situation, and Kushida was always Kushida. However, that didn't seem to be

true for Karuizawa.

If I were to create a hierarchy for the group, she'd be below Manabe

and the other Class C girls. Maybe that's why she was acting strangely. My

doubts and suspicions slowly grew.

For Class D to reach a higher position, we didn't just need to increase

our points. We needed to create a system in which we could increase points.

In comparison to Classes A and B, Class D lacked cohesion. And for that

exact reason, Karuizawa Kei was irreplaceable. She controlled the rest of the

Class D girls. That's why I was worried about her behavior. I'd thought she'd

be more aggressive and dominate the field.

I needed to determine if she was useful or not. Considering that the test

period was rather short, I couldn't afford to take things slow. I needed to stir

the pot, even if it meant being forceful.

The Class A students immediately left the room at the hour's end. They

were sticking to their class plan and staying quiet for the remaining four

discussions. As Ichinose watched the students leave, she gave a heavy sigh.

"Hmm. I suppose this is going to be tough. What do you think,

Ayanokouji-kun?"

Ichinose turned to me. She was even calmer, wittier, and clear-headed

than I had previously thought. She noticed that I kept quiet during these

discussions, but didn't put me on the spot. If I had been her classmate, I

would've had a crush on her. She was just that charming. The Class B guys

probably weren't alone in falling for her; she had to have admirers from other

classes, too. She probably rivaled Kushida in terms of popularity.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm the type to just sit things out. I'm just a

bystander," I said.

"It's far too soon to give up. Let's work hard together!" Ichinose

seemed determined to do her best.

100

"Well, even if we keep having these discussions, I don't think anyone

will come out and say they're the VIP. The benefits of staying hidden are just

too great, same as the downsides for being discovered. At this rate, Class A's

worst-case scenario prediction will probably come true," said Ichinose.

Though her comments sounded negative, she looked fearless. Whatever

I felt about her, she was clearly always ready for a challenge.

"At any rate, we're done for today. Good work, you two."

"No, we didn't do much of anything. Well, shall we?" said Hamaguchi.

The change was immediate. The three Class B students relaxed, almost

as if someone had flipped their switches to OFF. I still didn't really know

what the deal with them was. I didn't understand what Ichinose's and her

group's aims were yet.

Of course, she might have some kind of strategy that she couldn't tell

anyone outside of her group. When Manabe and the others from Class C got

up to leave, I trailed after them. Once they reached the elevator, I meekly

called out.

"Hey. Do you have a minute?"

Manabe looked slightly on her guard, probably because she hadn't

expected me to come after her.

"I heard about your problem with Karuizawa. Something about her

pushing someone at the café, right?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" snapped Manabe.

These girls wouldn't normally want to chat with me, but that topic

seemed to interest them. All three focused on me, like they were checking me

out.

"I'm not 100% sure, but I think I saw Karuizawa fight with a girl from

another class," I said.

"That's... Are you sure?" asked Manabe. Her voice was stiff, and she

drew nearer. I shrunk slightly and nodded.

"I think so. Well, I just kind of got this bad vibe, you know? I felt like

she was acting like a jerk, so I thought I'd go ahead and tell you."

I kept it vague to set things in motion, and then turned and went back

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the way I came. Honestly, I hadn't actually seen anything. If I'd kept talking,

I would have probably been exposed as a liar. Now that the fuse was lit,

Manabe and the others would react. How would the newly docile Karuizawa

respond? I wanted to find out.

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3.5

I headed back to my room. It was late, so I sat down on my bed

without talking to anyone. It was getting close to midnight. I'd thought that

everyone would be asleep already, but Hirata looked at me anxiously, like

he'd been worried. Yukimura sat on the sofa and faced me.

"Good work today, Ayanokouji-kun. You're rather late," said Hirata.

"Yeah, a bit. Ah, that reminds me. I wanted to talk to you for a minute,

if you have the time."

"I'm sure you're tired, but if you're up for it, do you mind talking with

me?" he asked.

Hirata and I asked each other the same thing at the same time.

"Huh? What did you want to ask me?" said Hirata.

"Oh no, that's okay. You go first, Hirata. We can talk about my thing

later."

Yukimura was trembling, like he was on edge. He probably wanted to

talk about the test, too. I changed into my jersey and rejoined them. Hirata

moved a bit to give me some space on the sofa. I wanted to talk to Hirata

about Sakayanagi, since I figured such a popular guy would likely have

information. But I didn't mind waiting.

"I just chatted a bit with Yukimura-kun. We decided to share

information about the test," said Hirata.

"I did say that it was pointless to include you, Ayanokouji," added

Kouenji. How nice.

"I would've been glad if Kouenji-kun participated, but he unfortunately

declined," said Hirata.

Yeah. I couldn't imagine Kouenji teaming up with anyone.

"Sorry, Hirata Boy. I'm far too busy with the pursuit of physical

beauty."

Kouenji, naked from the waist up, was doing push-ups. He was soaked

with sweat, but didn't seem bothered at all. No ordinary high school student

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could pull that off. He really was exceptional in every way. Honestly, I

wondered if Kouenji was even participating in this test. Hirata seemed to

guess my thoughts.

"Kouenji is participating in a group. After all, students are required to

participate, and points are taken away if a student fails to participate," said

Hirata.

Trust Hirata to read the rules thoroughly.

"To tell you the truth, I got word that two of our classmates have been

selected as the VIPs in their groups," he whispered.

"What? Who?" I asked.

"That's... I can't say. They only told me because they trust me."

"So you can't trust us, Hirata? If you know, then I have the right to

know, too. Besides, if you know who a VIP is, that might give us some kind

of hint. We should all be sharing information with each other in the first

place. It's only natural, after all," said Yukimura.

"Yes, you're right. That's why I wanted to consult with you. It's just

that—" Hirata started.

"Hey, Hirata. Wouldn't it be better to give us that information by

phone? We don't know who's listening in on our conversations," I said.

"Yeah, you're right. Wait just a moment."

Two names showed up on Hirata's phone. He turned the screen to us.

"Dragon Group, Kushida-san. Horse Group, Minami-kun."

Immediately after I saw the names, Hirata erased them.

"I see," murmured Yukimura. He was careful not to say too much.

So Kushida was the VIP. Having that position in the extremely well-

stacked Dragon group meant they had an enormous advantage. However,

being the VIP was terrifying. Once they knew her identity, she was at their

mercy. If the VIP had been from another class, we wouldn't have taken the

brunt of the damage even in the worst-case scenario.

"Don't worry. Everything is all right," said Hirata.

He'd noticed I was worried. The three Class D people in the Dragon

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group were the best we had to offer. They'd never be careless enough to

reveal the VIP's identity.

"Speaking of Rabbit Group, it's equally possible for the VIP to be from

any of the four classes. So in Class D, there are two VIPs that we know

about. There should be one more VIP keeping his or her identity secret," said

Yukimura.

"Yeah. I think your logic follows. They certainly haven't talked to me

about it, but they might've consulted someone else. After all, there's a high

risk of being discovered if you talk," Hirata said.

While we talked amongst ourselves, Kouenji started humming.

Yukimura, who'd been patient up until that point, bolted out of his chair in

frustration.

"Kouenji, stop the happy-go-lucky act already! I'm not going to tell

you to take things seriously, but you need to at least participate. We don't

want you to screw everything up like you did back on the island," he shouted.

"Well, I couldn't exactly help it. I was in awful shape. I couldn't force

myself to do the impossible," answered Kouenji.

"You just faked being ill to get out of it!"

"My, this test will be nothing but troublesome, wouldn't you say?"

Kouenji sniffed.

He continued his push-ups, then stood gracefully. He grabbed the towel

from his bed and started wiping his neck.

"Troublesome? You're not even thinking about this test at all!"

countered Yukimura.

"Well, there isn't any point to continuing a test that isn't interesting, is

there? Finding a liar is simple."

Kouenji, phone in hand, started to fiddle around. Soon after, all four of

us, including Kouenji, received a notification from the school on our phones.

"What did you just do, Kouenji?!" shouted Yukimura.

Hirata and I read over the email we'd just received from the school.

"The test has now ended for the Monkey group. Those in the Monkey

group are no longer required to participate any further. Please do not disturb

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the other students."

"Monkey Group? Hey, that's your group, Kouenji!" shouted

Yukimura.

"Of course. And now, I finally have my freedom once again. Adieu."

He tossed his phone aside before slipping into the bathroom. The rest

of us were simply dumbstruck.

"Y-you've got to be kidding me! We're desperately trying to think of a

way out of this, and that guy, he just..."

"We still don't know anything yet. He probably had his own ideas,"

replied Hirata.

"You're being way too generous! That guy will screw anyone over, so

long as he's able to enjoy himself and take it easy. This sucks!" shouted

Yukimura.

Well, Kouenji didn't take the test seriously at all. That was true.

However, he was remarkably perceptive and observant. He had boldly stated

that the test was nothing more than a "simple quiz" to find the liar. If that

were true, he'd probably hit the mark.

Kouenji's sudden actions soon became known to the rest of the

students. Hirata's phone started to beep continuously as new notifications

poured in. Classmates were desperate to know what'd happened. Katsuragi,

Ryuuen, and Ichinose would all be surprised by this. Probably no one had

imagined that someone would turn traitor so soon. Horikita messaged me:

I'm sorry. Things seem really confusing right now. I'm going to give

you a call.

"Damn it. Thanks to Kouenji, things have escalated," said Yukimura.

"I'm stepping out for a bit," I said.

Yukimura seemed like he was so irritated he wouldn't be able to sleep.

I stepped out of the room. Even though the test had ended for Kouenji, I

couldn't dwell on that. To be honest, I was seeing my own limitations in this

test. No matter how much I schemed, it would be extremely tough to lead the

Class D students from all the remaining groups to victory. You could even

say it was impossible.

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If the students came together, we could do something. Otherwise, we

were beyond help. We had no connection. You couldn't interfere with

another group's answers using your own phone. There wasn't enough time to

find another method, and the risk was high. If I had some information that

could decisively turn everything around, that would be another matter. The

ringleaders were Hirata and Kushida. If I could use them...

"It's impossible," I muttered. There were three days left. Even if I did

manage to gain their cooperation, I still didn't have enough eyes and ears. I

needed to understand what was going on in each group's discussions. Of

course, I might still be able to use Horikita and Sakura, but...

Well. Right now, I needed to get more eyes and ears on my side.

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3.6

The starry skies stretched out before me as far as the eye could see. I

wandered around, and stumbled onto the deck.

"Wow, that's amazing."

The view was more beautiful than anything I had seen in a movie or

envisioned in a book. It was the kind of sky you couldn't see in a large city.

There were a few couples holding hands, looking up to the stars shoulder-to-

shoulder. I felt a little lonely. Because there was almost no light, I couldn't

make out their faces, but I didn't particularly care. I wasn't interested in other

people's romances.

But amongst all the couples, there was one student looking up at the

starry skies alone. A girl, judging by the silhouette.

I couldn't just walk up and say something like, "Why don't we look at

the stars together?" I'd probably come off sounding like one of those sleazy

pick-up artists. Besides, if a boyfriend came along and joined her in the

middle of me making a move, it would be bad. But part of me was interested

in discovering her identity. I tried getting a little closer.

The girl turned toward me.

"Huh? Oh, Ayanokouji...kun?"

"That voice... Kushida?"

Kushida stepped out of the shadows. She looked at me with an

expression of shock.

"Are you...alone?" I asked. Perhaps she was waiting to meet her

boyfriend. Just imagining that made my chest tighten and ache.

"Yeah, I am. I just couldn't seem to sleep."

"I-I see," I answered.

Well, now I knew she wasn't on a starlit date. In that case, I figured she

wouldn't mind, so I got closer. Kushida wore a jersey. She must have just

gotten out of the bath, because she smelled nice. It should have been the scent

from the complimentary shampoos in our rooms, but it wasn't. How

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mysterious.

"Aren't you cold?" I asked.

"I'm fine. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun? Are you all alone?"

I nodded. When I did so, Kushida laughed happily.

"So we're both alone? I admit, I felt a little ashamed being alone. This

makes me feel better."

"..."

I should've spouted off a witty one-liner. But I couldn't. Besides, being

alone with Kushida in a place with a ton of couples spiked my heart rate.

Deep down, though, Kushida must've been thinking how much she hated

this.

"Well, I'm gonna head on back," I said.

"You're already leaving?"

"I'm getting tired." That was a total lie. I didn't want to sleep in the

slightest.

"I see. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Ayanokouji-kun."

"Good night, Kushida."

I turned around and began to make a pathetic retreat.

"Wait!"

Unexpectedly, Kushida wrapped her arms around my chest. Even in

this cold, I felt the warmth of her body through her jersey.

"K-K-Ku...Kushida? Wh-what's the matter?" I squeaked.

Of course, I was completely flustered. It was only natural that I'd

panic. I couldn't understand what was happening.

"..."

But Kushida didn't answer right away. She finally responded in a small

voice.

"I'm sorry. I...I just felt so lonely, I think," she whispered. Her words

hit me hard, like a fighter smacking me right in the jaw. I felt dizzy. Kushida

buried her face in my chest for a few seconds longer, without saying a word.

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Then she pulled away, flustered, as if breaking from a spell.

110

111

"S-sorry. I, um...I just hugged you so suddenly, Ayanokouji-kun.

Good night!" she stammered.

I couldn't make out Kushida's face too well in the dark, but she might

have been blushing slightly. Kushida quickly scurried away before I could

speak. I stood there, hand on my chest, feeling the warmth that remained. I

already couldn't sleep, and after all that, I couldn't just return to my room. I

decided to wander around the boat before heading back.

"Now that I've calmed down, I'm feeling thirsty."

There should've been a few vending machines on the first level, so I

decided to head there. But as I approached, I found an odd three-person

group: Chabashira-sensei; the Class B homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-

sensei; and Mashima-sensei from Class A.

The teachers were relaxing on the sofa. The area wasn't technically off

limits to students, but since things like izakaya and bars weren't open to us,

no one came around. I'd taken this route just for a change of scene, but had

stumbled onto an opportunity. I hid myself and drew nearer.

"You know, it's been a long time since the three of us all got together."

"It is what it is. Fate. After bouncing around from one thing to the next,

we all chose the teacher's life."

"Enough. There's no point talking about that."

"Ah, that reminds me. You were on a date the other day, weren't you?

You've got a new girlfriend, huh? Mashima-kun, you're quite the playboy.

And here I'd thought you were the quiet, unsociable type."

"Chie, what happened to the man you were with?"

"Ah ha ha! We broke up two weeks ago. I'm the type of girl who

breaks it off once the relationship starts getting serious. It's just like, see ya

later!" Hoshinomiya-sensei said.

"That's what you'd usually hear from the guy."

"Ah, but I'd never do that to you, Mashima-kun. You're my best friend,

after all. I'd hate to ruin our friendship."

"Relax. I'm not worried about that."

"What a shocker."

112

Hoshinomiya-sensei poured whiskey into an empty glass. She downed

it in one gulp. Must've been a drinker. On the other hand, Chabashira-sensei

sipped her drink like a cocktail.

"What are you planning, Chie?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? What'd I do?"

"It's customary to place all of the class representatives into the Dragon

group, isn't it?"

"I'm not screwing around or anything. It's certainly true that as far as

grades and attitude are concerned, Ichinose-san is number one. However,

someone's true place in society cannot be measured by numbers alone. I

determined that she needed a challenge. And besides, rabbits are just so cute,

aren't they? The way they hop around. Doesn't that suit Ichinose-san?"

Hoshinomiya-sensei asked.

"I hope you're right."

"I think what you're saying makes sense, Hoshinomiya, but what are

you getting at?"

"We wouldn't want you to base your judgment on personal grudges."

"Oh, are you still talking about what happened ten years ago? I thought

that was all water under the bridge."

"I wonder. I mean, you can't seem to stop yourself from running your

mouth. You're not satisfied unless you're one move ahead. That's why you

put Ichinose in the Rabbit group, isn't it?"

"I genuinely thought that Ichinose needed to learn a lesson, so I

removed her from the Dragon group. You know? By the way, Sae-chan, I

couldn't help but notice you've been focusing on Ayanokouji-kun. Anyway,

it's just a coincidence. Coincidence, coincidence. When the island test ended

and Ayanokouji-kun became a kind of leader, you weren't surprised at all,

were you?"

"I see." Mashima-sensei nodded as though convinced of something.

However, he then strictly addressed Hoshinomiya-sensei. "There's no rule

against this, but I want to be clear. Stop spying on other colleagues' classes."

"Agh, it's like you don't trust me at all. Well, I'm not the only one to

blame. Sakagami-sensei is part of the problem, too. If we evaluated the Class

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C students properly, another student should've been placed into Dragon. But

they threw Ryuuen in there."

"That's certainly true. This isn't your average year. The students seem

rather special."

With this newfound information, it was about time for me to head back.

If I stayed any longer, I might be seen. Just knowing that Ichinose had been

sent to spy on me was enough for this little reconnaissance. Apparently I was

under heavy scrutiny.

114

115

Chapter 4:

Double Question

"You're joking, right?"

The first thing out of Horikita's mouth sounded very accusatory.

"Unfortunately, it's the truth. Kouenji just ended the test for his group,"

I said.

"Are you an idiot? Why didn't you stop him? Wasn't that your

responsibility as his roommate?" she asked.

"That's an impossible task. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it

now. No use crying over spilt milk."

Kouenji's treasonous act had circulated around the ship, and naturally

the classes were in an uproar. Even though we'd chatted yesterday, Horikita

wanted to meet face-to-face today. She seemed unconvinced by my words,

because she was still shaking her head.

"When I see him next time, I'll reprimand him myself. I'll make him

beg for mercy."

"You already know that's pointless, right? He won't listen. He'll just

confuse you and waste your time. It'll be a headache. For the time being, we

should concentrate on our own groups."

She'd keep blaming me for Kouenji because he was my roommate. I

decided to change the subject.

"It's true that my group is filled with troublesome opponents, but I've

no intention of falling behind," said Horikita.

She certainly had an iron will. Well, I supposed I would have to leave

the matter to her. I had problems of my own, specifically with Ichinose and

the others who'd been secretly sent by Hoshinomiya-sensei to spy on me.

"I was thinking. You're a girl, more or less. I wanted to ask you

something," I said.

"I really don't like the way you said that. 'More or less'? I am a girl."

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Horikita had misunderstood what I'd meant. She looked disgruntled,

and turned away from me.

"Oh, uh, that's not really what I meant. I meant there was something I

wanted to ask you, as a girl." Since she'd probably get angrier no matter what

I did, I cut to the chase. "I want information on Karuizawa."

I'd planned to contact Karuizawa, but had never talked to her before. If

Karuizawa ranked the boys in our class, I likely would've been last.

"You want to talk to me about Karuizawa?"

"Yes, exactly." I nodded. "I'd like to know more about the people in

my group, but it's not easy. I should be able find out whatever I need to about

the Professor and Yukimura, but I'm at a complete loss with Karuizawa.

After the test on the island ended, Karuizawa invited you out to lunch.

Right?"

"I turned her down, though. You know that. I have no interest in

Karuizawa-san. If you want information on her, why not talk to Hirata-kun?

If he's helping you, you'll be able to contact her easily."

That was certainly true. Unfortunately, prior to the test, I had also

passed on the opportunity to have lunch with Karuizawa. Hirata probably

remembered that, so I wanted to avoid asking him about this.

"Do you think she's the VIP? Is that what you're worried about?"

Horikita asked.

"There's that. But more than that, I can't understand Karuizawa's

behavior. That's why I'm worried."

"Well, isn't that none of your business? Besides, her behavior isn't

logical. I think it's a waste of time," she countered.

"Horikita, I don't think it's good to write people off like that."

"Write them off? What are you talking about?"

"You and Karuizawa don't get along at all because you're both willful,

so you see her as nothing more than a nuisance. You understand that she may

also have strong points, too?"

"She has strong points? I can't really imagine any. Isn't she just

flawed?"

117

In terms of cooperativeness, Horikita was probably at the same level or

even worse than Karuizawa.

"When you first see someone, you make judgments based on their

appearance. You might determine if someone is cool or cute, for instance.

Basically, you read people. Call it your first impression; that's simple

enough. Next, you learn about their inner self through conversation and

seeing them in action. You'll see whether they're sociable, belligerent,

passive, etc."

Horikita crossed her arms, acting like my words were obvious. She

waited for me to continue.

"But that's still just as superficial as their outside appearance. Their

innermost thoughts aren't going to be immediately apparent from that. For

example, take Kushida, Ibuki, or even me. There's a difference between a

person's outer and inner selves."

"So Karuizawa has some secret self?"

"Almost everyone does. They may not be aware of it themselves. You

do, too." Whenever she came face to face with her older brother, she exposed

her fragility.

"I'm still not entirely convinced. However, I imagine you'll learn more

about her by spending time together," she said.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

"So, what are Karuizawa-san's good points?" Horikita asked.

"I still can't really describe it, but so far I'd say it's her ability to

assume control. She can take the initiative. In fact, her position in Class D is

unshakeable."

However, in the Rabbit group, that part of her stayed hidden, which

exactly why I needed to uncover Karuizawa's true nature as quickly as

possible.

"Okay. Let's say for the sake of argument that you're right, and she has

that ability. What do you intend to do? Are you thinking of making her your

ally, too?" asked Horikita.

"Hmm, I have to think about that."

118

While I thought about how to answer, Ryuuen approached us. "Hey,

you two. Having yourselves a nice date in the shade? Let me in on the fun."

He wasn't with Ibuki, apparently. He drew closer to us, wearing a

creepy smile.

"It seems like you have an awful lot of free time. Not that I care, but

there's nothing for you here," said Horikita.

"That's for me to decide. Well then, have you decided how to find the

VIP?" he asked. Ryuuen sat down without bothering to ask permission.

"Whatever my plans may be, I've no intention of telling you," said

Horikita.

"That's too bad. I wanted to get your opinion. However, it looks like

you haven't made any progress at all in your search."

"That's an interesting thing to say. Are you saying that you know who

the VIP is?"

Ryuuen smirked slightly at Horikita, as if expecting her to express

disbelief. "I've already started to discover the VIP's identity. Would you

believe me if I told you that?"

"No, I wouldn't. You don't have any support like Ichinose-san and

Katsuragi-kun do. You only have enemies. I can't imagine you have reliable

information," she countered.

"Well, you're right that I'm not a professional friend-collector, but

making friends has nothing to do with whether or not I can gather

information." He spoke like a teacher rebuking his student for not getting the

correct answer. "Unfortunately for you, I've already gotten a handle on the

fundamentals of this test. Depending on how things go, Class C will win by

an overwhelming majority."

"No, you can't be..."

No, what he was saying was probably true. The school always created

tests with fundamental laws or rules at their core. That was true of our

midterms, final exams, and even the test on the island. If you understood the

logic behind those rules, it would be possible to win. This test was likely no

different. He must have noticed that.

"It's an extremely simple matter. All you need to do is find out what

119

class the VIP is from. Then, your next move is to analyze the group," said

Ryuuen.

"I see. Anyone could think of that. But are they going to answer

honestly? If the school has a rule that guarantees your anonymity, all they

need to do is lie and gain 500,000 points, right?" Horikita countered.

Ryuuen appeared calm in the face of Horikita's doubts. "You just have

to make sure it's a situation where someone can't lie," he said.

"Where someone can't lie?"

"I take everyone's cell phones. So if someone lies to me, all I have to

do is check everyone's email, one by one," said Ryuuen.

"Are you insane? The school doesn't allow that. If you were

discovered, you'd be expelled," snapped Horikita.

"It's not really a problem at all, actually. I'm here because it's not a

problem. Do you get what I mean?"

It was a brute-force method that only he could pull off, because he was

an absolute tyrant. If he forcibly looked at another student's phone, then

Ryuuen would be punished. However, even if Ryuuen rampaged through

Class C, he believed no one would lodge a complaint against him. And if no

one complained to the school, that meant they were practically giving him

consent.

Ryuuen's calm proved that what he said was true—that he was

operating within the rules. His strategy was to forcibly lay bare all of Class

C's secrets. At any rate, if what he was saying was true, Ryuuen had

identified three of the VIPs. That was a huge step toward completing this test.

It was comparable to a quiz where you could turn the page over and

find the answer written on the back. If you didn't flip the page, no one would

know the answer, but if you flipped it just a little, you could spy the answer.

In other words, Ryuuen probably knew the identities of every class's VIP.

"Looks like you finally understand."

"Yes. But you haven't got the answer yet. If you had, you would've

sent an email to the school immediately," answered Horikita.

"Maybe I'm just playing around?"

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"You don't know when someone else is going to figure it out. You

shouldn't be so laid-back," Horikita snapped.

She didn't have any proof, but Horikita was probably correct. If he

already knew the answer, there'd be no benefit to delaying the result. He

should have ended it.

"Now, then. Suppose I'm about to reach checkmate?" he said.

"Ryuuen-kun. While you're here, I'd like to ask you something. The

test ended for the Monkey group yesterday. What do you think about that?"

she asked.

"I don't think about it at all. I don't really care about small fry. See you

again, Suzune."

Ryuuen left. His parting words made me wonder if he planned on

reporting back regularly. I flipped him off, and Horikita made a face.

"I don't know how much of what he said is true," she said.

While we kept silent, we peeked underneath the chair that Ryuuen had

been sitting in. Under the chair was a single cell phone set to record audio. A

single chat message had been sent to that phone. There was no sound because

the phone had been set to silent. I couldn't see everything on the screen

because of the angle, but I instantly made out the words "Sorry for

yesterday!"

Perhaps there was some kind of drama in their class? I didn't want to

court disaster by continuing to look, so I sat back up. Horikita quickly

understood, took out her own phone, and sent me a short message:

If that phone is his, we probably shouldn't say anything careless.

Well, she wasn't wrong, but who knew what the correct answer was?

This was difficult, but it would also be suspicious for us to just go silent.

"Do you think what Ryuuen said was true? About finding out the VIPs

from every class," I said.

Horikita looked perplexed for a moment. However, she seemed to

quickly pick up on what I was getting at.

"I have to wonder. I can't say I'm 100% sure. But...there's a

possibility. I don't think we can keep up this test much longer, though."

121

"Sounds like things are rough for you, too," I said.

"I've got a lot of work for you to do. I need you to find the group's VIP

as soon as possible," said Horikita.

"Easy for you to say. It's not like I can find them."

"I won't expect too much from you. I just want information about the

Rabbit group."

Our conversation only highlighted Horikita's capability and my

incompetence. That way, suspicion would probably be directed away from

me. At any rate, Ryuuen was using his own phone to try and find out more.

He was looking for anything he could get.

"If you're not expecting too much, I'll do what I can," I answered.

Without saying anything else, Horikita got up, walked to the elevator,

and left. Should I head back to my own room? Or should I come up with a

strategy to win the test? I left Ryuuen's phone alone and walked away.

Eventually, I decided to head back to my own room. I could learn more

detailed information about Horikita's group from Hirata, more or less. Also,

Hirata would likely approach this test from a different perspective than

Horikita.

However, Hirata wasn't in the room when I came in. I only saw

Yukimura. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking grave.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

He was my roommate, after all, so I couldn't just ignore him.

Yukimura noticed me, but he didn't respond. He sighed quietly and muttered

something to himself.

"For crying out loud, why did we get stuck with this group? Why am I

partnered with Karuizawa and Sotomura? We can't win," he mumbled.

"What's with you all of a sudden?" I asked.

"Didn't you hear? There's a rumor going around saying that they use

guidelines to create the groups. When I heard that all the superior students

got grouped into the Dragon group, I knew it was true," he answered.

So that's what he was agonizing over. It was certainly true that the

Dragon group did seem to feature the best of the best. Considering the

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