Classroom of the Elite Vol. 4 Chapter 3 Part 1

Chapter 3: Double Question

"...are you kidding?" Horikita greeted me with a blaming tone of voice. "Unfortunately it is true. Kouenji just suddenly up and ended the exam for his group" I reply to her. "Are you an idiot? Why didn't you stop him from rampaging around like that? That was your responsibility as his roommate" she tells me. "That's impossible, besides there's no use crying over spilt milk now" I said. The brute force method that Kouenji had used to end his group's exam had been circulating around the students causing the class to be in an uproar. That's why in yesterday's chat, Horikita had wanted to meet me directly. It seems she's still unconvinced as she was shaking her head from side to side. "I'll scold him for it next time I see him, I'd like to avoid such incidents again in the future" Horikita tells me. "You should know that's pointless, words won't reach him. You'll just get dragged into his pace. For now, let's concentrate on our own groups" I said in response.

Since he's my roommate, I might get blamed for not having stopped him in time so I decided to change the subject. "Indeed my group is full of troublesome enemies, but I won't fall behind them" Horikita tells me. Her attitude is as strong as ever, and I suppose I'll have to leave it to her in this case. On my end, too, I'm having a bit of trouble dealing with Ichinose, who Hoshinomiya-sensei sent to scout me out. "Speaking of which, since you're also a girl, I'd like to ask you something" I tell her. "What's with that line? I was always a girl from the start, you know" she instantly retorts, having misunderstood my words as sarcasm as she looks at me with slightly disappointed eyes.

"No. That's not it, that's not it. I was just saying I'd like to ask you as a girl". Since it seemed she would get angrier if I kept trying to make excuses like that, I quickly got down to business. "I would like information on Karuizawa" I tell her. As I'm planning to make contact with Karuizawa, I need information on her. If she were to make a ranking of boys in the class, I'm sure to be at the bottom after all. "So you'd like to consult me on the matter of Karuizawa?" Horikita asks me. I nod. "I'd like to keep track of my group members, but I'm finding it a bit hard. I should be able to deal with Sotomura and Yukimura, but Karuizawa's a problem. After the island test ended, you once got invited to lunch by Karuizawa right?" I tell Horikita.

"You should know I already rejected her, I'm not interested in Karuizawa-san at all. If you want information on her that badly, why don't you go ask Hirata-kun? If it's him he'll surely be able to set you up" Horikita replies to me. That is true, but before the exam started, I had passed out on a chance to have lunch with Karuizawa and Hirata. Surely Hirata remembers the incident as well, so I'd like to avoid asking him with this timing. "Are you worried that she might be the "target" or something of the sort?" Horikita suddenly asks me. "That's part of it. But right now, it's impossible for me to understand Karuizawa's behaviour. I was just curious" I tell her. "Then it's a waste of time, her behaviour has no reason behind it. If you care about her, it'll just be a waste of your time" she replies to me. "Horikita, I don't think it's a good thing to say that about others". "Say that about others? What do you mean?" she asks me. "Of course you've only seen the selfish and irritating side of Karuizawa so far. But you do know she probably does have a good side too?" I reply to her.

"Is there really a good side? I can't imagine it. Isn't she just full of flaws?" Horikita asks me. Of course, currently as far as cooperativeness goes I have to admit Horikita is equal to or better than her. "When you first meet someone, the first instinct is to judge them on their appearances right? Whether they're cool or cute or the such. Then you'd judge them via dialogue to see their inner self. Whether they're social or aggressive or passive and such". Having said that, Horikita crosses her arms and waits for my next words. "But even that's just still the outside. Their real mindset will not be immediately visible from just that. Take Kushida, or Ibuki or even me for instance. The 'front' personality and the 'back' personality are well divided" I tell Horikita. "Does Karuizawa-san have such a divide too?" she asks me. "It's something most people have, even if they are not aware of it. Horikita, you have it too". Because whenever she is in front of her brother, she always exposes her true, fragile nature.

"I'm still not entirely convinced, but I can understand that you'll know her better through direct contact" Horikita tells me. Of course that is easier said than done, because if I hadn't decided to put in the effort, I would never be able to know Karuizawa's true nature in the first place. "And? Is there a good use for Karuizawa-san?" Horikita asks me. "I can't put it clearly in words yet, but if I had to say it would be the 'ability to rule'. She has initiative and there's no denying that her status in Class D is unshakeable" I tell Horikita. However, in our (Rabbit) group, I have not seen that side of her yet. This is why I thought to ascertain the true nature of Karuizawa as quickly as possible. "Assuming she has such a capability, what will you do? Will you bring Karuizawa-san into our group too?" she asks me. "I wonder about that" I tell her. While I was wondering about my answer, that man from yesterday came back to us.

"Yo, you two. Are you having a little date in the shade?". It was Ryuuen who said that. He wasn't with Ibuki today, but rather, approaching us with a creepy smile on his face. "You're pretty free yourself, even if you corner me like this, there's nothing you stand to gain" Horikita rebukes Ryuuen. "I'm the one who gets to decide on that. So, have you decided to try and find the "target"?" And again Ryuuen sits down on a chair nearby without permission. "Whatever my plans are, I'm not telling you" Horikita says. "That's a shame, I thought to discuss it with you. But it looks like you haven't made any progress with your search yet" Ryuuen tells Horikita. "That's interesting, are you saying you know who the "target" is then?" Horikita asks him. But looking at her with a strange expression, Ryuuen answers her as if he had expected her to ask him that from the start. "I've already discovered who the "target" is, would you believe me if I said that?" Ryuuen asks Horikita. "No I don't. You're not someone like Ichinose-san or Katsuragi-kun with allies on your side. You only have enemies. Nobody would gather that sort of information for you" Horikita replies to Ryuuen.

"That's not true. Indeed, I'm not in the 'making friends' club like them. But making friends and gathering information are two completely different things" Ryuuen says in response. He spoke to Horikita with an attitude almost resembling a teacher being disappointed in their student for not getting the right answer. "Unfortunately, I've already dipped my hands into this exam. Depending on the circumstances, Class C might just be the one to win" Ryuuen says. "N-no way". No, what he says might just be the truth.

The school always makes exams based on very specific criteria. The midterms were the same, the finals were the same and the island test was also the same. If you understand the 'rules' behind the exam, it is possible to achieve a high score and produce good results. If that is true, this exam is no different. If it's him, he must already understand that fact. "It's very simple, you just have to find the "target" is all. Disassemble the structure of the group and analyze it until you find the answer". "Indeed, anyone would've thought that. But will they answer honestly? Since the school guarantees anonymity, one can just remain silent and gain 500,000 points that way." Horikita tells Ryuuen. But Ryuuen answers calmly in response to Horikita's doubt. "I just have to make sure it's a situation where they would answer honestly without lies". "A situation to make them answer honestly without lies?" Horikita asks him. "Since I asked everyone for their contacts, I can simply ask them one by one without the school ever knowing." Ryuuen says. "Are you insane? This is prohibited by the school. If discovered, you'd be expelled" Horikita asks him in shock.

"It's not a problem. I'm standing here right now because it's not a problem. You understand the meaning of that right?" Ryuuen says. It was a brute force method Ryuuen could only use because he has the stature of an absolute tyrant. If he forcibly looks at the phone of another class's student, no doubt Ryuuen would be reported and expelled. But Ryuuen is dominant in Class C. Whatever he does, no one would utter a complaint. And if there is no complaint, there is no problem. It means Ryuuen's actions are still within the safe limits of the school's rules. That must be Ryuuen's strategy. The strategy to forcibly strip all secrets from Class C. And if that is true, Ryuuen could have the identities up to three "targets". That would be a massive hint for him in this exam.

To put in an easy to understand manner, it would be like writing the question and answer on different sides of a panel. Normally you wouldn't know the answer unless you turn the panel around. But if the panel is folded like a paper, it may be possible to get a hint of the answer on the other side. Basically, Ryuuen may already know the names of all the "targets" in this exam. "It seems like you finally understand the situation" Ryuuen says at last. "...Yes. But if you already know the answer, shouldn't you have already mailed it over to the school?" Horikita asks him. "Maybe I'm just fooling around". "You don't know when someone else will arrive at the answer, you shouldn't be so off-guard if so" Horikita says in response. There's no proof, but I have a feeling Horikita's assumption is correct. If he already knows the answer, there's no point in delaying it. He should have ended it when he could.

"So, I'm finally at the last stage". "Ryuuen-kun, by the way can I ask you something? Yesterday the (Monkey) group's exam ended. What do you think about that?" Horikita asks him. "Nothing in particular, I don't care about what the weaklings are doing". Ryuuen simply left those words behind as he walked away. "I don't know how much of what he said is true". Horikita had a perplexed expression on her face while staring at the back of Ryuuen who was walking away. And then with confidence, I looked beneath Horikita's chair and there I found a single phone with its recording mode activated. On that phone, one chat. Just one chat. Was sent to it. It had neither a ringer nor vibration activated. And did not see the full contents of the chat but for a moment, I saw the words "Sorry about yesterday" sent by someone to Ryuuen on it.

Perhaps there's something wrong with his class? I didn't want to dig any deeper into that and returned to my normal posture on my chair. Horikita quickly grasped the situation too, and quickly took out her own phone and typed this to me. "If that phone is indeed his, better not to talk carelessly" she typed to me. What she said is indeed true. "Do you think what Ryuuen said was true? What he said about pinning down the "targets" from every class. Horikita looked at me in surprise for a moment but then she quickly understood the meaning behind my words. "I wonder. I can't say for sure with 100% certainty, there's not much time for this exam after all". "You have it rough too".

"I'm going to work you to the bone, we also need to find the "targets" as quickly as possible" Horikita then tells me. "Easier said than done, there's no way I can do that" I tell her. "I'm not expecting much from you too, but I just wanted information on the (Rabbit) group from you" she says. By having this conversation, I was able to highlight Horikita's talent and my own incompetence. In doing so, suspicion would be diverted off me to a certain degree. After all, Ryuuen did try to eavesdrop using his own phone. "If there's no particular expectation on me, I'll give it a shot" I tell Horikita. Then without saying anything else, Horikita pressed a button on the elevator and left. Now, should I go back to my room and sleep? Or come up with a strategy for the exam?

In any case, I decided to leave Ryuuen's phone as it is. And with that, I decided to head back to my own room. I can also learn more about Horikita's group from Hirata there after all. And fortunately, Hirata, also happens to be in the same room as me. And he should be approaching this exam with a different perspective from Horikita after all. But Hirata was not in the room when I got there, only Yukimura. And he was sitting on the edge of the bed with a stern expression on his face. "Is something wrong?" I ask him. I cannot ignore a roommate like that after all, and Yukimura also realized I was there since he sighed quietly and muttered at me. "It's about our group. Why do we have to be Karuizawa and Sotomura?" he grumbles. "What's with you, all of a sudden". "Haven't you heard? It seems there's a pattern to how the groups are assigned. The (Dragon) group has the most excellent students assigned to it. That makes it worse" he says. I see now. That's why he was feeling anxious. Indeed, the (Dragon) group to which Horikita belongs has the best ones.

There's no doubt about that judging by the conversation of the teachers yesterday and Ryuuen's own assessment. If we go by academic ability only, however, Yukimura is up there with Hirata and Horikita too. Of course he would not be satisfied by being placed in the (Rabbit) group instead. Yukimura did avoid using her name directly but he was looking at me intently. There's nothing I can do even if you say that. I then decided to head to my bed and wait until Hirata gets back. But Yukimura was looking at me with suspicious eyes the whole way. "Ayanokouji. I just want to check with you to be sure. But you're not the "target" right?" Yukimura asks me.

"I'm going to deny it, but is there even meaning in checking?" I ask him in reply. "Of course, in this exam 'cooperation' is of the essence. In other words, if you cooperate we won't lose" he tells me. "That's true. Unfortunately, I really am not the "target" here". "That's true right? You better not be trying to hog points for yourself" Yukimura tells me. Since it seems to be his personal policy to doubt others, that was unsurprisingly Yukimura's response to me. "I'm not the "target", can I believe you're not as well, Yukimura?" I ask him.

"Of course I'm not. By the way Sotomura is also not the "target", you know" Yukimura tells me. This was a confirmation between friends, almost like a code word saying 'do not betray each other'. "I also asked Karuizawa and she denied being the "target" too but believing in her words is a different matter" Yukimura continues. It seems Yukimura, who dislikes Karuizawa, is inclined to disbelieve her words. Of course, to know for sure, he could have simply checked her phone but given the relationship between them, that seems difficult to do. It seems Yukimura was satisfied for now since he didn't ask any further. I bury my face in the pillow and closed my eyes. I felt uneasy having someone in the room watch me sleep, but it's not that unpleasant. I can be as adaptive as a chameleon when I need to be, in terms of making friends as well. It seems even Yukimura has started to acknowledge me as a friend. I then fall asleep after hearing Yukimura's slight sigh again from across the room.

1

In the afternoon, I once again went to the discussion room of the (Rabbit) group. But even in the same place and the same space, depending on who you're with the atmosphere will also inevitably change. I arrived in the room ten minutes before the start of the discussion and the one who arrived right after me was Karuizawa. When she saw me, her expression changed into a disgusted one and she immediately averted her eyes away from me. She then sat in a corner of the room (the corner furthest away from me) and started fiddling with her phone. It's not like we had a fight or anything, or that we don't get along. I'm just simply put, hated by her. But that's the worst type of relationship to have.

If there is a reason behind the hate, there is room for reconciliation. However if there is only an ambiguous dislike of me, I cannot make any breakthrough with her. Currently, my standing with her is quite bad. I could have left the room and spent time out in the hallway until Ichinose and the others arrive. But I can't just leave because the atmosphere is getting awkward in here.

I quickly corrected my stance in a manner befitting a dignified person like a man. In any case, this type of exam is particularly bad for me. Especially since it revolves around the concept of 'dialogue' which is a weakness for me. After spending the entire semester as a loner, it's not like I can suddenly start cultivating a chatty image. But Karuizawa seems to have no intention of keeping quiet since she placed the phone near her ear and started speaking.

"Ahh, Rinocchi? How're things over there? Here? Things are awful here" she spoke to her friend through the phone. Since we were the only people in the room, naturally I could hear every bit of her conversation. The worst part is that once she ends her call, an awkward silence descended upon the room. Then she spoke to me "Aah...speaking of which are you the "target"? It seems Yukimura-kun and Soto.....something-kun aren't" she asks me. At least remember Sotomura's name, I thought. Since there was no one else in the room, it seems she's picked me to talk to.

It was a question Yukimura also asked me just a while ago. It can't be helped that everyone would want to check this with me. "No" I reply to her. "I see, then that's fine". But unlike Yukimura, she didn't ask again to confirm. "Do you trust me?" I ask her. "Ha? You said you're not the "target" right?" she replies to me. I was surprised that she would so easily trust in my words. It's not like we ever got along or anything. But I suppose there's no real need to confirm that anyways, because what I'm really aiming for in this exam aren't the points. What I want to confirm is whether this person known as "Karuizawa Kei" is truly a useful existence or not. "You're both early". It seems the three students from Class B have arrived at the same time. "Let's get along today as well" I reply to Ichinose. Ichinose also called out to Karuizawa with those words but Karuizawa ignored her and continued fiddling with her phone.

And as it was yesterday, the members gathered together prior to the discussion. It seems the situation still hasn't changed at all from the previous discussions.

Class A quickly took its distance and only the remaining three classes gathered to form a circle. Seeing that, Karuizawa stood up and went over to join Class A and sat down next to Machida of Class A. That action was probably taken as a defensive measure against Manabe. Machida did not actively take part in the discussions, but his 'presence' was still very strong and his voice was influential in the group still. And there is still the difference in strength between a male and a female student which leaves Manabe and the Class C girls unable to do anything to Karuizawa with Machida around.

If Karuizawa had decided to depend on the unreliable me or Sotomura instead, Manabe and her group would not have hesitated to attack her. Thinking that way, Karuizawa's decision to choose Machida is correct.

"It's ok, if anything happens, I'll definitely save you" Machida promises Karuizawa. "Thank you, Machida-kun" Karuizawa says in reply. It seems that by being relied on, Machida has become overly conscious of Karuizawa. Since she is a cute girl on the outside, it can't be helped even if feelings to protect her are born inside Machida. Leaving aside this new love story, the real problem right now is the exam. Just like us, the other classes probably understand as well. They must have already talked about it like we have, and must know whether the "target" is in their class or not.

"Now, I've been thinking about it since last night. But, I think we should now discuss with each other a way to find out who the "target" is" Ichinose says. "That again? I've already told you there are people you cannot negotiate with. And without us participating, there's no way you can discover the "target" right?" words that mock Ichinose like that came from Class A. "I don't think so, I think it's a matter of trust here. And that's why today, we will be playing cards with everyone. Of course I won't make it compulsory so only willing people should join" Ichinose then continues while taking out a deck of cards with a smile.

"Hahahahaha, building trust with a card game? That's stupid" Class A continues their mockery. "You may think that, but if you try it it's surprisingly fun. It's going to be a long hour to be spending alone in silence. It's fine if you won't feel bored though" Ichinose says in reply and as usual, Class B all voices their consent to Ichinose. "I shall also participate. I'm free anyways" Sotomura adds. But of course it seems nobody else is willing to consent to Ichinose's plan so I raise my hand lightly and offer my consent to her.

"So it's the five of us then. For now I'm thinking of playing Daifugo. Is there anyone who doesn't understand the rules here?" Ichinose asks us.

Of course, to a certain extent, I do understand the rules of card games too. Daifugo included. There seemed to be no problems with everyone else too and so the game smoothly started. The others not involved in the game are either disinterested in us or sending us glances from time to time. Ichinose then proceeded to shuffle the cards which were evenly divided up between the five of us. I have a Joker, 2 and 3 of Clubs. It seems a pretty intense hand has formed. My hand would currently overwhelm most other players but in Daifugo, you can't say for sure the stronger hand always wins. A revolution can occur and weaken your hand and send you spiraling into a loss.

But there's no denying the fact my hand currently gives me an advantage. I should come up with a solid strategy to utilize this hand. I have to admit, playing cards is a much deeper experience than I ever imagined. Not to mention each player's personality is highlighted in the game. Ichinose, for instance, is not fighting with her own hand only but also carefully analyzing the other players and using their pace to her advantage. Hamaguchi is betting everything on the endgame. It seems their strategies each reflect their personalities. "One more time!" Sotomura shouted. Sotomura, who is usually very knowledgeable with otaku related topics, I had expected to exhibit a much calmer personality. But it seems he's the time to get angry when he starts losing. But he also seems to be the type to quickly cool off since he returned to normal once the game ended.

I think this is probably what Ichinose was hoping for. To scout out the personalities and characteristics of the players. Of course it only helped a bit, and the dialogue with the rest of the group is still not occurring. But that would mean not only Sotomura, but she could have also been scouting my behaviour.

From Ichinose's perspective, I wonder how I would be seen. From an objective standpoint...I'm sure as a truly dull man. Active with a good hand yet passive with a bad one. I must seem like a very common sort of man. This approach is better than adapting to the game and throwing Ichinose's observations into disarray. And so we continued to play cards, starting from Daifugo and by the end we had even played Old Maid. And by the time we finished, an hour had already passed. Neither Class A nor Class C joined in, and by the end of it all, only the five of us had participated in the games from start to finish.

"That was fun, sometimes it is good to play it the old-fashioned way" Sotomura said, seemingly more happy from playing cards than having to sit through an hour of discussion.

But just by repeating these games like some sort of psychological warfare tactic, I still cannot see what Class B's true aims are here. I'm sure that's something only Ichinose knows.

"Then...I'll be taking my leave". "Where are you going?". "I can't allow Class A to get away like this after all". "So you're heading off to go see Katsuragi-kun?". It looks like Ichinose is planning on making direct contact with the man who planned Class A's closed fortress strategy. Even though I normally am not the social type of person, I should take advantage of this flow. "If it's ok with you, can I tag along with you?" I ask her.

"Of course I'm completely fine with it, perhaps Ayanokouji-kun is also interested in Katsuragi-kun?" Ichinose asks me. It's not like she was being cautious of me, but genuinely curious as she tilted her head while asking me. "That's not the case, it's just Horikita is also in the same group as Katsuragi" I answer her.

"I see, I see. Then let's go together, shall we? See you later, Hamaguchi-kun" Ichinose said goodbye as she left with me, nodding as if convinced of my reasoning. Hamaguchi sees her off. Despite seeing Ichinose as their leader, it seems Hamaguchi is also capable of taking individual action. This is very different from the king-subject relationship Katsuragi and Ryuuen take with their class.

As long as the discussions are ongoing at the same time, the time of dissolution should also be the same. Ichinose quickened her pace through the corridor to arrive before the (Dragon) group dissolved their meeting. "Let's hurry, ok?" she tells me. And with that declaration, Ichinose quickly walks to the destination in a slight hurry. Since the rooms are all located on the same floor, it is possible to quickly traverse the distance between one group's room to another. It is only one or two minutes since the discussion period ended, and the students on the floor are still sparse. And soon I arrived in front of the (Dragon) group's room.

Of course we could not hear the voices of the people inside, but we could still feel their presence and so we stopped in front of the room.

Perhaps the fact that no one is coming out means that there is a lengthy discussion ongoing in there. I did send her a chat, but it was still not marked as 'read' by Horikita. "It looks like they're taking their time". "Hard to imagine Ryuuen and Katsuragi holding a discussion with each other. Or perhaps this is Class B's power showing itself?". "I wonder, Kanzaki-kun isn't the type to take the spotlight like that though...and speaking of which Horikita-san and the others are Class D right? It seems Class D also has a considerably remarkable lineup there" Ichinose says to me in reply.

It's not only Horikita, there's also Hirata and Kushida, I thought. And about 10 minutes after the allocated time, the door of the (Dragon) group's room finally opened. The first person who came out of the room was the one Ichinose was looking for, Katsuragi. Several students from Class A followed behind him. Having noticed Ichinose, Katsuragi turned to face her.

"Ichinose, what are you doing here? This isn't a coincidence right?". "There's something I'd like to discuss with Katsuragi-kun. Do you have some time?" she asks him. "The exam's interval is a long one. There's nothing for me to do anyways so there's more than enough time" he tells her. As expected, he did not ignore Ichinose, Class B's leader, and was responsive to her questions. Having understood Katsuragi's intent, the students at his back went ahead and left without him. "There's no problem if only I stay behind right?" he asks Ichinose.

Nodding, Ichinose quickly moves aside towards the walls so as to not disturb the passerbys. Having managed to join into the conversation, I stand by Ichinose's side. And from Katsuragi's perspective, having just me as the sole observer seemed to be acceptable and he did not say anything.

"Judging from our discussions, I can more or less understand Katsuragi-kun's strategy. You forbade all the Class A students in the groups from talking, right? If so, would you reconsider that decision of yours? This current exam revolves around dialogue, doesn't it?" Ichinose asks Katsuragi. Three times now in our discussions, Class A stubbornly kept their silence. And that sort of fortress isn't something Ichinose can break apart in one stroke. To Ichinose, this must be an opportunity to break down that defense. Now, let's see Katsuragi's response. "A reasonable request. But that's something I've tired many times over since yesterday, to the point I think you're late in asking me this, Ichinose" he replies.

It seems Katsuragi's strategy has received far more attention than expected. "I had my own circumstances to consider, in any case Katsuragi-kun, would you reconsider your strategy of keeping silent?" Ichinose asks him. Katsuragi seemed to be considering the complaints raised against him by the other three classes. "The answer's the same no matter who asks, this is a strategy I made to win. And there is a reasoning behind it as well. You say this exam revolves around dialogue. But if there's something I disagree with, it's that. This exam tests 'thinking'. It would be problematic if you misunderstood that aspect of the exam. That's why considering the exam, I decided to prohibit discussion. There's no problem there" Katsuragi responds to Ichinose. "But Katsuragi-kun, that's like saying you reject the exam itself" Ichinose replies.

"My words may be blunt, but they're not wrong. Not just this exam, but the ones to come as well. I'll be looking for ways to achieve results without doing anything. I'll be playing for keeps for Class A's current position. I believe there's nothing wrong with that" he tells her.

"Yes if this were a direct competition between classes, Katsuragi-kun has the right idea but in a mixed class exam like this, is this really the right way to do things?" Ichinose asks him. Ichinose contacted Katsuragi to attempt to change his opinion but this time it seems Katsuragi has made the right call. There are only four possible outcomes to this exam. Students can opt to clear the exam through any one of those outcomes. Not interested in the struggle between classes, Katsuragi seems to be focusing only on leading Class A through this exam. "Further discussion is pointless, Ichinose. You should know I'm not changing my decision" he tells her.

"To break a mountain without moving an inch, is that it?" Ichinose remarked with a bitter smile. Having seen no sign of him giving up, it seems she has understood Katsuragi won't be on board with our idea. I did expect this sort of outcome from the start somewhat. "Are you still going to struggle?". "Of course, that's the point of this exam". Ichinose and Katsuragi. Two powerful elites clashing with each other directly. "I'm sorry but I can already see the results of this exam. As long as we of Class A refuse to cooperate, your actions will be severely limited. There will be no chance of you winning". Indeed, even with three classes perfectly united, this exam is not an easy thing to clear. As soon as the identity of the "target" is revealed, somebody is bound to turn traitor. As long as the traitor stands to gain something from it, cooperation will be difficult to maintain to the end.

If the reward is not evenly and fairly distributed, there would also be no point in cooperating as well after all.

"Tell me something. If you were the leader of Class A, wouldn't you have used the same strategy as I did?" Katsuragi asks Ichinose. "I wonder, I still haven't seen things from the perspective of Class A after all. If you're in a position to be hunted like that, shouldn't it be after you've had lots of experience being hunted? Running from the start's a difficult thing".

As if hearing nonsense, Katsuragi closed his eyes and crossed his arms and then finally crossed eyes with Ichinose once again. "This is just my personal image, but I think if we were in the same position, you too would have foregone dialogue and chose the same strategy I did. If it's to protect my class, I do no mind receiving criticism from other classes at all" Katsuragi says with the assumption Ichinose shares the same conviction as him.

And Ichinose simply smiles softly in response to his assessment of her. "Sorry for taking up your time, I think I understand now. Your feelings and your way of thinking" she tells him. "Good to hear. Excuse me". Ichinose did not move an inch as she saw off Katsuragi. "This exam, it's really easy when you play defense, huh? I shouldn't have done something unnecessary" Ichinose says. On that front, only the classes in desperate need of points would have to desperately uncover hints. But even then there is a huge risk. Removing the "target" could cause trouble to the class as well.

"Even so, Kanzaki-kun and the others aren't coming out yet". Even though Katsuragi and Class A left first, the others aside from them have yet to show themselves. 1 hour was the minimum amoount of time required for discussion, but discussion beyond that point is not prohibited after all. "Are you going to wait for Kanzaki?" I ask Ichinose.

"Ayanokouji-kun's also waiting for Horikita-san, right? I'd like to hear what they have to say too, let's wait together". She can talk to Kanzaki whenever she wants, but my opportunity to talk with Horikita is limited. Since Katsuragi brushed her off, she might also want to hear the opinions of the other classes too. But from the start, I don't think there is a way to break through Katsuragi's strategy in the first place. And from that point onwards, we waited for around 30 minutes and the door to the (Dragon) group's room finally opened. The ones that came out where the students of Class C except for Ryuuen, there was also Kushida and Hirata.

"Hmm? Ayanokouji-kun, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for Horikita-san?". Having seen me, Kushida approached me strangely. The memory of what happened with her yesterday came up in my mind and my body stiffened immediately. But it seems Kushida is still the same as usual and hasn't shown any signs of change. It's a bit unfortunate. "Hello, Kushida-san". "Uwaa, it's Ichinose-san. Hello. This was unexpected, and a strange combination". It seems like Kushida doesn't know we were acquainted and couldn't quite hide her surprise.

"I'm waiting for Horikita-san and Kanzaki-kun but are they still talking inside?" she asks Kushida. "Those two are still talking with Ryuuen-kun it seems like. You could enter". Kushida gestures towards the door as if inviting us in. "It's ok, it's ok. I can wait if they're still in the middle of discussion". "Isn't it fine? The exam's limit is only 1 hour. Anything beyond that you're free to enter and leave as you please. Besides, you don't know if they're still taking about the exam or not". And with a slightly pushy attitude, Kushida opens the door and forces us in. Since I was forced in and with no reason to refuse, I entered together with Ichinose. My eyes met Hirata's for a moment.

And in the room, three people were sitting slightly apart from each other. It almost seemed like a three states situation. But it was not a tense atmosphere I felt but a more relaxed one. The moment we intruders set foot in the room, their gazes immediately turned towards us. Horikita and Kanzaki did not show much of a change in their expressions, but Ryuuen seemed to have found something funny as he laughed. And then he raises his hand and called to Ichinose.

"Yo. Did you come all the way here for some reconnaissance? Don't be shy, have a seat". "This is certainly an interesting combination. I'm very intereseted to hear what you've been talking about after the required hour". "Kuku, of course. Originally, you must've thought you'd be in Kanzaki's place. But the fact of it is, you belong to a different group. And a small team with the bare essentials at that. Or perhaps that's just the sort of person you are" he tells Ichinose.

"Come on, Ryuuen-kun. The placements were decided by the school, how could I have known? We're just fighting based on the information and the situation we've been given. The way you're saying it sounds like it's reversed and the school intentionally grouped us?".

Ichinose acts as if she hasn't realized or noticed anything, but Ryuuen isn't the type of man to believe in something like that. While laughing, he quickly moves and closes the distance between himself and Ichinose. And it seems he hasn't even realized my presence. But, personally I liked it better that way. "If you haven't realized it yet then I'll tell you. In this exam, those bunch of teachers intentionally decided on the groups. That much is obvious. That also means that there is a reason you were excluded from this group despite being the leader of B" Ryuuen tells Ichinose.

"Hmm. So it's not random but predetermined grouping huh? I knew Ryuuen-kun's group was made up entirely of extremely gifted people, but it seems other groups are also decided like that. Thanks for your information. But, is it ok? Giving me information like that?" she asks him. Ichinose's reply like that should have been expected, but I did not miss the change in Ryuuen's facial expression. Normally, upon hearing facts one should not have known about, there would be surprise, anxiety or doubt. But without missing a beat, Ichinose had thanked him for his information. That was not a natural response. Of course, looking at it from the perspective of the other party, Ichinose's reaction must have made it seem as though she had known this truth all along but was merely hiding the fact. Even if he does not know this for a fact, the possibility that he's gleamed this information off her by instinct alone is also high. It was only a brief conversation, but both parties seemed to have gleamed quite a bit of information off each other.

In this case, whether Ichinose noticed the intentional groupings by the school's side is unimportant. What's important is 'why', if she realized, she decided to keep silent on the matter. That's what a struggle to read each other's moves means. "But even so...". And with an exasperated face, Ryuuen finally turned to face me. "I too, like to chase after a woman's ass. But you're even worse than that aren't you? First Suzune, and now Ichinose. You're always hanging off a woman's ass" he tells me. Of course that was not my intention, but now that I think about it, he's not wrong either and I cannot deny that.

It's not like Ryuuen's being particularly interested in me, since he doesn't say anything more after that.

"You've come at a good time, Ichinose. I have an interesting proposal to make to you". "Proposal? In any case I'll hear you out. But what is it?". "It's pointless talk. A waste of time to even lend him your ear". Seemingly having already heard that proposal, Horikita quickly cut in as if to prevent it. "It's a proposal to work together and crush Class A together. But it seems Suzune and Kanzaki have rejected me" he says. "What do you mean?". "I've told Suzune about it earlier, but I already know the identities of all the Class C "targets" you see". And just like how Katsuragi had Katsuragi's own strategy. Now it seems to be Ryuuen's turn to speak of his own strategy.

It seems we've evolved beyond the stage we were at in the morning already.

"Three classes will combine forces and share information, that includes the identities of all the "targets" as well and bypass the school's rules for this exam". So that's what the three classes alliance would mean. "That's quite a bold idea. But how realistic it is is a completely different matter. In the first place, how can we trust that Ryuuen-kun already knows the "targets" for Class C?". "You can't trust me and that's only natural. Then we don't we make a contract in this case? A pledge to share the "target" identities between us and gang up on A. That way, leaving A aside, three classes would have effectively formed a siege against it".

But this is a strategy that seems likely to collapse if Class A refuses to play along. "Even if we write up a contract, without knowing who's going to betray you, it's still meaningless. It's all over if Class C betrays us". Horikita's statement like that was the natural follow up to such a proposal. From the information I've gathered myself, it seems Ryuuen's already formed an alliance with Class A for quite some time. And during the island test, Ryuuen has shown his propensity for betrayal. The fact that Katsuragi did not raise a single complaint against it shows how well this guy does his job.

The strategy itself is not such a bad one, however, the fact that Ryuuen is the one who proposed it is the problem. "What Horikita-san says is reasonable, but unless we also know the identities of the "targets" like Ryuuen-kun, this is a meaningless proposal". "No point in playing dumb, there's no way you haven't been analyzing the classes as well" Ryuuen retorts to Ichinose. Both of them had smiles on their faces, but the atmosphere between them had changed slightly like needles pricking your skin all over.

"You're overestimating me. I've done no such thing, and besides, this proposal is very high-risk low-return. I'm afraid I cannot accept it" Ichinose tells Ryuuen. "There's a time for secrets, and there's a time for actions". "It may be so from your point of view, but now that you're gathering information so aggressively. Is it not your dream to rise up to Class B that way?". "Horikita-san from Class D also opposes it. From the start, there was no way this proposal would be accepted". "That can't be helped, Suzune has a reason to decline the proposal after all".

"What's that supposed to mean" Horikita asks Ryuuen. "You understand, don't you? For this strategy to work, you'd need to perfectly understand your own class firstly. And for Class D which has no teamwork at all, that's an impossible task. Right? And it's also impossible for Class A which is currently split into two factions" he replies. The atmosphere changes once again, and now it feels like a cloudy atmosphere had descended upon the room.

"But for me, who rules the class and the incredibly popular Ichinose, this strategy is possible. Right now I proposed a three class alliance, but even if it's just two classes it's still possible. The probability of seeing through the rules of the exam may decrease slightly, but if it's me I can certainly pull it off. If I can do it, both A and D might as well be stripped nude" Ryuuen says. To discover the "targets" of Class A and Class D by working together as two classes. That was Ryuuen's proposal.

The fact that Ryuuen boldly proposed this strategy to Class B asking for their cooperation in front of Horikita, me, Kushida and Class D itself is incomprehensible and disturbing. Even if this strategy is not perfect, it seems Ryuuen would be able to gain something by knowing the identities of the class's "targets" and would reach that point in just a step further. If so, this will be a vital moment for Class D. "This might be unnecessary words, but doesn't that mean your strategy is still imperfect?". I had thought she would simply observe here but right now Horikita's stance seems to be one marking him as an enemy. Even if Ichinose decides to ally with Class D instead, we still don't know how far we can trust her.

And considering that, it would be an extremely fatal mistake to allow Ichinose to form a connection with Ryuuen here. "Do you understand the situation now, orbiter?" Ryuuen laughs at me as if attempting to mock me, but I decided against keeping quiet and replied with my honest opinion.

"If Class B and C form an alliance here, naturally this time Class A and D would form an alliance too, wouldn't you say? I admit Class D is fractured right now, but once the possibility of losing becomes a reality, I believe it'll come together. It's the same for Class A too". "It's not like I'm allying with Ichinose at this moment anyways. So unless you can ascertain the fact that such an alliance has formed, I doubt Katsuragi would cooperate with you" Ryuuen replies to me. Admittedly, Katsuragi is a cautious man who will not accept such ambiguous negotiations. However, since he had also suffered at the hands of Ryuuen, there is still room to reason with him. After what I said, it seems Horikita has also realized that this proposal would not work. "There's no point in this dialogue. We'll eventually be at each other's throats anyways" she said. "What might you mean by that, Suzune?". "All I mean is that he has a point. If you intend on continuing this discussion like a strategy meeting. I'll have to assume 'this is reality' and act accordingly as well" Horikita says in reply. "As you wish, I'm anxious to see whether you manage to form a cooperative relationship or not, eh?" Ryuuen says that as he randomly spouts hostility towards his enemies while at the same time, brazenly extending an offer of cooperation towards them as well.

Horikita responds with a determination to fight in response to that. This is certainly a deterrence aimed towards Ichinose. If she betrays Class D now, she will be viewed as a traitor by all the other classes as well. A person who betrays even her allies at the drop of a hat for the sake of points. If such a reputation were to be stuck to Ichinose now, it will pull her leg for the rest of her long high school life.

"I'm sorry Ryuuen-kun, but there were also people in Class B who were hurt by your actions. Even if it's for the sake of gaining points, I cannot cooperate that easily with you". "I see, that's unfortunate" Ryuuen tells Ichinose. But his face shows he expected this outcome from the start and was not disappointed in the least. Ryuuen then stood to leave the room and passed by us. As he left, Ryuuen turned around just once to look at me. Perhaps he did it unconsciously, but his gaze landed on my face. "...it can't be" he whispered and left. I, of course, did not react to those words of his.

As Ryuuen shook his head and left, Kushida also spoke up. "I have to leave now too, my friend is calling me". Apologizing like that, Kushida quickly left the room after Ryuuen. "It looks like he saw through us there". Ichinose slightly sighed. "This is going to be troublesome, being targeted by someone like that". "Even though he has the kanji for dragon in his name, he's a snake through and through. Once he's set his sights on his prey, he'll go to any lengths to devour said prey. But rather than me right now, it's Horikita-san he's set his sights on. Right now Ryuuen is most wary of Class A, and he should be aware of the fact that Class B would also be his enemies one day too" Ichinose says.

That is true, Class D had only risen up from the depths it had sunk into after the recent island test. Perhaps it is a result of that, but none of the other classes are seeing Class D as that severe of a threat yet. "It should be fine, Horikita is not the type to crumble under pressure" I tell her. "Of course". I did say that, but there is still the possibility that Horikita may yet evolve from the pressure put on her here. This much I am certain of. Whether it's now or ten years from now, if you are going to evolve as a person, generally you need to be broken down first.

"Horikita-san, Ayanokouji-kun. Since people now know about the alliance between our classes so I'll ask just in case, but do you believe in this exam, an alliance that transcends classes can truly be formed?" Ichinose asks us. "There's no real need for hostility here, but asking for cooperation might just be a bit difficult. The exam itself is set up so that two classes cooperating perfectly would be impossible. That's why absolute, unwavering cooperation between Class B and Class D is a necessity. I don't think such an alliance could be formed". "Umm. As expected of Horikita-san. You understand the exam perfectly it seems. Ryuuen-kun's idea was infeasible from the start. It was a good move allying with you" Ichinose tells Horikita, seemingly happy that their ideas seem to have matched perfectly.

"Yes. Ryuuen-kun's strategy will end in failure. There's no need to even worry about that. The problem is the strategy set up by Katsuragi-kun. Having spoken to him yourself, what do you think?" Ichinose asks Kanzaki and Horikita regarding Katsuragi. "As I reported to you yesterday, there's no room for the other groups to talk to them. He doesn't respond to us and refuses to participate in discussions as well. I don't believe he'll change his stance before the exam ends. Is the stance the same even without Katsuragi present?" Kanzaki asks Ichinose. "Yeah. It's hopeless on my end as well. Looks like we'll have to compromise in this situation with a different approach". The number of discussion periods left is three. And after that each group will have to submit their answers individually.

That's when we'll have to make a choice. For the class or for the group? Or perhaps only for yourself?. "I'll be returning to my room then". Since everyone from the (Dragon) group had left the room, Horikita also moves to return to her room. At that moment, Ichinose met up with Hamaguchi who seemed to have been waiting outside for her. Ichinose glanced briefly at the departing back of Horikita, and then turned back to look at me. "If it's ok with you, would you accompany me for a bit?" Ichinose asks me. "Sure. That's fine". Right now it's not just Ichinose but also two other students from Class B with me so it felt slightly cramped.

Then upon parting ways with Kanzaki and arriving on the deck, we were suddenly greeted with the figures of students who had already switched into a fun mood. "Horikita-san may have said that, but I still believe we can all work together and there's still room for cooperation" Ichinose finally tells me.

"Room for cooperation?". "Yes, Class A suddenly took that stance and I was surprised but there's still room for cooperation. That's why we need to expose everything, don't you agree?" she asks me. "All?". "At the end of the day, this exam is mainly about finding the "target". So that means all we'd have to do is figure out as many non-"targets" as possible to narrow down the possibility. That's why I'll tell you...I'm not the "target". But I will find them, and I'll bring our 'group' to victory" Ichinose clearly tells me while looking deep into my eyes. And added this. "If you still doubt that I'm the "target" and I'm simply hiding, even if you ask me that my response to that is simple...I'm doing everything I can for Class B". Those words pierced me with a mysterious aura I couldn't seem to quite figure out.

Having observed Ichinose's behaviour so far, there's only one thing left to question her about. If she truly wanted to ask my cooperation here and now and wish to gain absolute trust from me she should have gone one step further. That is to say, reveal the contents of her phone to me to ascertain that she is not the "target". But Ichinose is showing no signs of doing so, I didn't even notice any signs of her attempting to take out her phone. So should I take her statement as the ramblings of a mentally ill woman? Or as a story that still has a hidden side to it? That was the reason for the mysterious aura. It may yet be the wise decision to honestly accept her offer here now.

"...is it absurd?" Ichinose anxiously asks me after receiving only silence from me. "No, sorry. It's not that absurd of a proposition. I was just surprised that you would be so honest with me. Normally, one would not attempt to bring the entire 'group' to victory if they truly were the "target" after all". "I won't use lies in a place like this. I would have if I needed to during the exam, but as much as I can, I try to be honest" she tells me. "Everything I've told you so far, I intend to do to allow my class to win fair-and-square. I just thought to find the "target" to see if they share the same idea. Ah, Ayanokouji-kun doesn't need to answer if you don't want to. I just wanted to let you know my feelings. I thought it would be easier if we were on the same page" she says. "Although perfect cooperative relationships might be impossible, it's still a good idea to maintain good relations. If I don't answer you honestly here, this relationship might crumble down the line" I answer her. "No, no. No such thing". She tried to stop me from answering her in a panic, but this isn't something I should conceal here.

What Ichinose says is undoubtedly true, the price she gains from betraying me here is small. There's no point in deceiving Class D which had already sunken to the bottom and is barely rising again now. Of course, I cannot say for certain she is being 100% honest just like how one cannot be 100% certain they won't get hit by an asteroid and die. But I think I can afford to be honest with her here too. "I'm not the "target". Neither is Yukimura. I'm certain about Yukimura. But I don't know about Karuizawa and Sotomura. And personally, I agree with you Ichinose. No objections" I tell her.

I did hear from Yukimura that neither Sotomura and Karuizawa seem to be the "target" as well, but I'd best leave such uncertain statements out of this conversation. I still cannot say they are not "targets" with confidence. And judging from his attitude and his behaviour, what Yukimura confided in me is certainly true. Yukimura is not the "target". "S-sorry. I seem to have forced you to talk". Ichinose then lowers her head before me as if overcome by guilt. But there's no need to apologize. Because one day, it's 'I' who should be apologizing to her for what I'm about to do. "Hamaguchi-kun, could you come here for a moment?".

"What's the matter, Ichinose-san?". When Hamaguchi approached, Ichinose began informing him of the current situation. After listening to her, he seemed surprised that Ichinose managed to build a cooperative relationship with Class D. I thought Ichinose's personality alone would've gotten her the approval of the class. "If he's confirmed it himself too, there's no reason for me to refuse it. I'm also not the "target". It's ok to trust me" Hamaguchi tells me. And considering his relationship with Ichinose, his credibility is also pretty high. There's very little merit in lying here because it could ruin her relationship with Horikita if exposed after all. "So you haven't checked your class yet" I asked her. If it's the Ichinose who's burning with popularity, she could have gotten the information from her class even without using a reign of terror like Ryuuen did.

"I try to let my classmates take individual action. That sort of thing. There are those that just want points for themselves. It's not like I can just decide the "target" amongst them of my own accord anyways" Ichinose says. "It might be hard but I'll check the remaining one. If they answer honestly, I'll let Ayanokouji-kun know of it afterwards". "I'm grateful for that. But it's not like I'll tell you everything about Class D. We still can't say we've established a positive relationship just yet and there's still no guarantee that what you've just told me is the truth" I tell Ichinose. "That's fine. As long as Ayanokouji-kun alone cooperates with me I'll be satisfied with just that".

And with this, the three of us discussed the exam from a neutral standpoint and cooperation within the (Rabbit) group has suddenly become a possibility. Me, Ichinose, Hamaguchi and Yukimura. The four of us are certainly not the "target". I can be sure of Yukimura at least by observing his behaviour and attitude. That leaves 10 other people aside from us. The "target" is undoubtedly hiding amongst those 10. In any case it's bound to be a more difficult task than finding the leader during the island test. That is precisely why this is an exam. The "target" will also feel the pressure on them and as long as they avoid taking open action, they can keep themselves concealed. It seemed unfair at first but the school did make sure to balance out the exam.

"So? How do you intend to find the "target" from here on out? Even if we ask directly, I doubt they would name themselves honestly. It's not like they can be persuaded with words alone like the three of us" Hamaguchi says to us. "The point of this exam is to do something about that, right?". Exactly, this is an exam of the highest caliber. To extract information from a person desperately attempting to keep it hidden. Now with Ichinose making her move, a change in the current situation will inevitably occur.

2

Unless one is an esper capable of reading minds, finding the "target" won't be an easy task. People are all born liars and are mostly used to lying. If a person that has never lied even once in their lives exists, that existence itself would be a lie. For humans, lies are an inseparable part of ourselves. At the very least, among the people gathered in this room, one of them is the "target". There is still time until the discussion proper starts, however, the reason I came early like last time was to observe the behaviour of everyone in the group. And the first ones who arrived for the night's discussion were the girls of Class C. They came in while gleefully chatting away with each other. Upon seeing me, they instantly lowered their voices in a disgusted manner and quickly distanced themselves from me.

Next was Yukimura, who entered the room with a sharp-looking face. Casually greeting me with a glance, he soon sat down near me. He didn't seem to be any different from usual. Then next came the Class A group. Machida and Takemoto. And then Morishige. As usual, since they have decided to keep their silence, they decided to sit at the far end of the room. Close to where the Class C girls were sitting. "Hey Machida-kun, today after this is over, do you want to come play with us? The three of us girls are planning on having fun after this, but haven't found someone yet". "Let's see..." Machida replied to them.

Machida usually does not participate in the discussion, but his 'presence' is still strong. Leaving aside Ichinose and Ibuki, it seems all the other girls in the group are interested in him. It's not like I'm jealous of him or anything...but I may be slightly jealous of him. Either Class C had half given up on finding the "targets" or perhaps this is still a part of their plan, but with those words they had invited Machida out to play with them. Is this how men and women deepen their relationships? It seems Machida is also satisfied with that as he looked happy while considering their invitation. Then Sotomura and Karuizawa entered the room. But rather than together, it seemed like they just happened to arrive in the room at the same time, as Karuizawa had a displeased look on her face. As soon as they entered the room, she quickly put some distance between them and moved towards the back of the room.

"Hey. That's my seat". Despite having arrived later, Karuizawa tells that to the Class C girls while glaring at them even though they arrived earlier. After seeing the other girls flirting openly with Machida, it seems Karuizawa became even more angry at them. "Don't know what you're on about, but what's your seat? Just find somewhere else to sit" Manabe told Karuizawa. "I said that's my seat. Move" she replied. "Huh? Can't you see I'm talking to Machida-kun right now? We're going to be playing tonight" Manabe tells Karuizawa. "Machida-kun, please tell her yourself. That you want me sitting next to you" Karuizawa asks Machida. Looking slightly embarrassed, Machida seemed to be torn on who to choose. But Karuizawa soon understood the situation, and quickly got in between Manabe and Machida, and held Machida's hand.

"This time, let's play together. Just the two of us. Or have you chosen that girl? I hate womanizers, so if you're going to play with that girl I won't go out with you" Karuizawa tells Machida. I was honestly surprised she would say something like that so boldly while going out with Hirata. In fact, Machida seemed to be attracted to the words "just the two of us" and had already decided which girl to choose. "Could you please move? That's where Karuizawa sits. Even this afternoon too" Machida tells Manabe. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Annoying...". Saying those words with face that said likewise, the Class C girls moved away from Machida. And so Karuizawa quickly moved into that empty space and sat down. In fact, she sat down so close it was almost as if she were glued to Machida. Honestly, their bodies were already connected at this point.

Perhaps the only reason people did not think those actions were frivolous was because people already knew what Karuizawa was like. Perhaps he doesn't know she is going out with Hirata, or perhaps he does, but it seems Machida has begun to open up his heart to Karuizawa, or has already fallen in love with her. If we're only talking about appearances, Karuizawa is indeed cute, and if you look at her from the perspective of liking her, it is also possible that protective feelings would be born inside of you. The interesting thing is, the group that was just formed yesterday, had already begun to develop its own hierarchy of power and ecosystem just today. A loner is a loner while a popular person will remain popular even so.

The partitioning of the students into hierarchies is already complete. But this partitioning is not done the usual way. For instance, if two people happen to share the same status in the group, inevitably one would rise and the other would fall in status. It could even be described as a 'survival of the fittest' environment. And the one that loses in said competition would be demoted to a lower rank amongst their peers. Perhaps even to the bottom of the ladder. To the point where their existence would not matter one point even if they weren't there. For example, someone like me in this case. The interesting thing about this exam is that it forces people who had competed against each other earlier to join hands. Even Ichinose, who is extremely popular amongst her class, has trouble influencing her enemies in this class. If it were Hirata, perhaps he might have been able to organize this into a more proper group?

"Let's get along today too!" Ichinose herself arrived and brought life back into the dispirited room. I also immediately realized the atmosphere in the room is especially thick today and chose to not speak carelessly. But even so, Karuizawa's actions seemed too forceful and incomprehensible to me. If she wanted to get closer to Machida, she did not need to antagonize the Class C girls to do so. I just felt---that this event and the exam itself had no direct connection. As someone who had been watching Karuizawa since the start of the first semester, I can tell after observing her personality and her actions. That Karuizawa wants to stand at the top. Of course, she's not such a talented person that she can rise to the top of the girls group like that. She lacks the talent of Ichinose and something like that would normally be impossible for her.

But there is such a thing as 'human relationships' that come into play here. It is a fact that Karuizawa with a strong personality became the leader of Class D's girls. Furthermore, she became the girlfriend of Hirata, the guiding force of the class and gained influence with the boys as well. If one applies Karuizawa's behaviour then to this instance, the truth becomes clearer. She attaches herself to the strongest man she can find such as Machida and gains influence in the group that way. It works, in fact, the Class C girls who were unable to overpower Machida's influence were already reluctantly going back to their own seats. Karuizawa accepts the risk of being hated in exchange for absolute domination.

For a sense of superiority?

For self-satisfaction?

Or just craving the spotlight?

I still cannot see the root cause of this behaviour, but evidently something along those lines was responsible for her actions. "This isn't good". "Yeah, if we continue like this, we'll be allowing the "target" to get away". The one who answered my murmur was Yukimura, who happened to be sitting next to me. It would be awkward for me to correct him on the subject so I went along with the flow.

"Let's see, let's see. Class A isn't going to join in the discussions as usual. Right?". "Of course. Please feel free to continue the discussion without us. Our stance has not changed". The student sitting next to Machida who made that statement that had been concealing his emotions the entire time was Morishige. I've seen him before this exam. According to what I have heard, Class A currently is divided up between two factions. The Katsuragi Faction and the Sakayanagi Faction. Morishige was one of those who betrayed Katsuragi during the island test. While he would not normally listen to Katsuragi's orders obediently like this, Sakayanagi is absent from this cruise due to ill health and without someone to give him orders directly, he had no choice but to follow Katsuragi's orders it seems.

I expected Katsuragi to instantly lose influence in the class after his failure during the island test but it seems he won't go down that easily. Since he too had been keeping his silence for two days now, it seems even Morishige believes he has no choice but to endure Katsuragi's orders. "Since it'll be a waste to spend an hour like this, shall we play cards again?" Ichinose says as though she had grown used to this as she proposed a game of cards after the initial confirmation. In this exam, there are different approaches that can be taken, but Ichinose seems to want to find the "target" through dialogue while Katsuragi took the opposite approach by preventing all dialogue.

On the other hand, Ryuuen's strategy is turn everyone into an enemy while taking absolute control of his own class. But I can't be sure those are their individual strategies until the curtain falls. After all, it would be impossible to talk about that while playing cards for one whole hour. Yukimura seemed to be desperately scanning the surroundings but he doesn't seem to have a grasp on who the "target" could be. I'm sure it's the same for the other students as well and that is surely the conclusion they have all reached. Even if dialogue were to be successful, it is unlikely the "target" would name themselves. Once the hour had passed, I observe the order in which the students leave the room.

The students of Class C who were always one of the first out the door do not seem to be leaving yet while Class A, always the first to leave, did so as usual. However, it seems Machida and Karuizawa are busy exchanging their contact numbers with each other and making arrangements to contact each other. Then Yukimura and Sotomura got up to leave. "Let's go back, Ayanokouji you're leaving too right?". "Yeah". And at the same time, Karuizawa also stands to leave while talking to someone on the phone, seemingly chatting about something interesting. And as she leaves, the three girls from Class C also pass through us to follow her.

"Those three girls. Don't they seem a bit strange to you?". Yukimura seemed to have noticed somethign unusual about them and looked at me with a worried face. "Do you believe so? I have not noticed anything" Sotomura replies to him in a crazy tone of voice. Leaving aside Sotomura's opinion, Yukimura's intuition is correct. It seems the Class C girls are storing up quite a bit of anger in them as well. Yukimura and I slightly peak out of the room into the corridor outside. And we saw the three girls chasing Karuizawa swiftly in the corridor. I would rather not follow them alone. And Ibuki, who also seem to be disinterested in Karuizawa, is not there. "Might be a personal quarrel between them?" Yukimura looked at me as if to ask what to do.

"Let's follow them. It might not end up in violence but it might cause a bit of uproar". "Damn that Karuizawa, always doing things that makes people hate her...even though I wanted to find the "target" myself". While Sotomura left to return to his room, Yukimura and I quickly followed the four girls quietly.

As I reached a corner, I heard the sound of a door slamming shut and saw the entrance to the emergency stairs closing. But there was no reason to use the emergency stairs unless the elevators were broken, which meant something else is happening here. "Hey, what're you doing bringing me to a place like this?". I quietly opened the door to the emergency staircase and heard a voice from inside. "Don't play dumb with us, you pushed Rika right? Start talking". "...w-w-why. Why are you accusing me? I told you you've got the wrong person didn't I?". The three girls then closed in on Karuizawa and drove her back to the wall as if to prevent her from escaping. But even in a situation like that, Karuizawa continued to deny the accusations without apologizing. Is it really not her then?. "I have something to do now, would you mind moving aside?".

"Then let me confirm it now. I'm going to call Rika now. If it's really not you, then I'll forgive you". "I don't know what you're talking about, I'll call the teachers". "What are you going to tell the teachers? It's not like we're using violence on you right now. If you tell them, we could also tell them you pushed Rika and make it a problem for you too". It seems like they have no intention of backing down as they grabbed Karuizawa's arms as she tried to escape and pushed her back towards the wall.

One of the girls then began using her phone to contact the girl named Rika. "W-wait a minute". Once she realized the situation was that serious, Karuizawa tried to stop them from making the call. "Why are you in such a hurry?". "...I just remembered. I accidentally bumped into that girl" Karuizawa quickly tells them. "You filthy liar, you remembered her from the start didn't you? I don't care either way, but you're going to apologize to Rika?". "No. She's the one in the wrong. She's an airheaded girl". I thought Karuizawa would accept responsibility for it, but it seems she's as headstrong as ever. Despite knowing she would rile the Class C girls up even more she still said those words.

"She's really pissing me off. I was even thinking about forgiving her for her actions earlier if she apologized to Rika. Never mind, I'm not forgiving her now". And with that, she pushed Karuizawa's shoulder with the palm of her hand. "You weren't going to forgive her anyway from the start...right?". It was a girl named Yamashita who had always followed behind Manabe until now, that said that. "Shiho-chan, I can't hold back anymore. I really won't forgive Karuizawa". "I know right? I'm sure Rika shares the same feelings as you. Let's seriously bully her".

This time, with more force, she hit Karuizawa's shoulder with her palm again. Yukimura tried to open the door quickly, but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. Even if we stopped this now, Karuizawa will inevitably be assaulted again in the future. But allowing them to use violence to their heart's content right now will serve as a deterrent for them in the future. And depending on the degree of violence, it might even be possible to threaten them with contacting the school. And most importantly, right now Karuizawa Kei's existence is about to change.

"Ha...haaa". Karuizawa seemed to be having trouble breathing. Or perhaps she seems to be in pain. But she grabbed her head with both hands. But the sight of her suffering, instead of evoking empathy, brought forth more anger from Manabe and the other girls. "Even if you act all feminine like that I won't forgive you anymore". She then grabbed Karuizawa's hair and forcefully raised her head. "I always hated Karuizawa's face, don't you think she's really ugly?". "I know right? Do you want to cut up that face of hers?" one of the girls asked.

"S-s-stop". "S-stop, she's saying. What happened to that determination you had a while ago?". It would seem the more you hate your enemy, the more you seek to attack their advantages. If we're only talking about beauty, there's no doubt that Karuizawa is the better one. But it seems Manabe, Yamashita and Yabu won't be satisfied until they deny Karuizawa's appearance like that. After shaking silently, Karuizawa became unable to move. There was no longer any trace of the usual her to be seen right now. The true nature of a person always comes out in a dilemma like this. A little more of this and soon I'll be able to see and know more of Karuizawa Kei.

But it seems Yukimura's sense of justice had kicked in, as he seems to be unable to hold it anymore. He then quickly opened the door with force and surprised the three girls inside. On the other hand, as though she had been saved, Karuizawa looked at Yukimura with a face of relief. "What are you doing?". "W-w-w-w-what? I was just talking with Karuizawa-san, right?". Manabe looked at Karuizawa with a threatening expression as if daring her to say a word, but Karuizawa isn't the sort of person to be intimidated by just that.

"Hey Yukimura-kun, do something. They abducted me violently out of the blue and started pushing me around. They're the worst right? They were annoying so I told them to leave me alone but". Normally Karuizawa would never care about Yukimura, but she's probably grateful to him now that he's appeared here to save her. Her face seemed to convey her relief. But Class C seemed to be hatefully glaring at Yukimura. Almost like saying this has nothing to do with Yukimura. "I'm just helping Rika with her Karuizawa problem. Since you came here you must have also heard the story right". "...I think you should let it go. If they just accidentally bumped into each other, it's not like Karuizawa's at fault you know". Yukimura had no choice but to answer like that.

"You shut up. This has nothing to do with you". ".....". Since he got told to shut up by the Class C girls, this time Yukimura had no choice but to obediently shut up. Karuizawa then started to look at Yukimura as if looking at a pathetic man while I slowly took out my phone quietly.

"Just leave me alone already. Otherwise I'll call for someone" Karuizawa tells them. "Call? Call who? Hirata-kun? Machida-kun? Or perhaps a prostitute like you can call as many men as you like". It is said that a fight between women is dirty, and cannot be resolved easily through violence like a man's conflict. As someone who had gotten himself involved in this, I found it painful to both look at and hear. "There was a teacher that passed by earlier, I think it's best if you left". Having no other choice, I stepped in and said those words to break the fight up. I'm sure Class C also does not wish to cause a scene here.

"I'm absolutely going to make you bow your head down before Rika". It was a threat to Karuizawa by the other side saying they would use any means necessary for that. Karuizawa desperately tried to act strong but it's obvious she's no longer capable of that. It seems the other girls have also sensed Karuizawa's weakness as they looked at Karuizawa from above with condescending looks. "Are you ok?". Unable to leave Karuizawa, who seemed to be hyperventilating, Yukimura asked her that.

"Leave me alone!". Karuizawa quickly slapped Yukimura's hand away as he moved in to help her. "What the hell? I came to help you because I was worried". "Shut up! Nobody asked you to do it" Karuizawa said while getting her breath back. Yukimura took a step back as if overwhelmed by her words. I also stepped back to not get involved in it but Karuizawa stared at me intensely with an angry expression before opening the door of the emergency staircase with force. And then slamming it shut behind her. "What the hell is her problem? Always causing trouble for us". I do understand Yukimura's feelings of resent towards her. A 'troublemaker' is a nice way to describe Karuizawa.

But it seemed he was also tired out by the ordeal, as Yukimura did not say anything more and left from the emergency staircase door as well. Now alone on the emergency stairs, I thought about Karuizawa. And the vulnerable side the leader of the Class D girls had shown then.

The terrified appearance Karuizawa had just now was not only because she was being threatened at the time but due to something else.

3

Midnight after the second day had ended. The pool that was crowded during daytime was now silent. I was there to wait for a call to confirm a certain thing. Since the phones we were assigned after enrollment already had the contact numbers of the teachers added to them, it was an extremely simple task for me to contact Chabashira-sensei. Even though we were in the middle of summer, we're sailing right above the ocean's surface so the night wind was rather cold. "...sorry to keep you waiting, Ayanokouji". "I don't really care. More importantly, sorry for calling you out this late". "It's a consultation from a student, as a teacher I have an obligation to respond. It's nothing strange. For better or for worse, this is your first time calling me out here alone".

Chabashira-sensei who does not handle Class D with love, is not very well-liked by the students even in flattery. Even if the students have a problem, they are unlikely to ask her for a consultation. "There's something I'd like to ask sensei...your face is looking quite pale". I didn't notice at first in the dark. But Chabashira-sensei had a deathly pale face.

"...don't worry about it. It's just adult things. So what's the matter?". I could more or less understand the situation since I could smell the alcohol coming from her breath. "In this school, you told me there's nothing that cannot be 'bought' with points. But there are exceptions correct?". "I suppose so, exceptions naturally exist. For example, if you try to buy the lives of teachers and students with points we cannot allow that to happen".

"Then the most expensive thing ever bought with points in the past---". But before I finish my question, I quickly sensed the presence of an eavesdropper. "Ya-ha! Sae-chan. You feeling good?". It was Hoshinomiya-sensei that appeared. Was it just a coincidence? No, the probability of that is infinitely low. It would have been impossible for her to stumble onto this place without having tailed Chabashira-sensei.

"...aren't you drunk?". "Hmm? No of course not, there's no way I could be drunk. Are you perhaps playing dumb with me?". "Really...you can hold your liquor really well as usual. Both yesterday and today as well". Hoshinomiya-sensei kept her pace up and continued speaking. "Hello Ayanokouji-kun. Are you feeling well?". Acting overly familiar with me, she approached me, and acting overly familiar again, she puts her hands around my shoulders so close I could feel the alcohol coming from her breath. Of course someone underage like me wouldn't know, but is alcohol that good of a drink? Just by smelling it, I already feel like not drinking it.

"I'm fine. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't" I tell her. "A really impressive cute answer. So does Ayanokouji-kun like tsundere onee-sans like Sae-chan?" Hoshinomiya-sensei asked me. "Don't do that with students. It will interfere with our professional conduct". Thankfully, Chabashira-sensei grabbed Hoshinomiya-sensei by the nape and dragged her off me. I recall the conversation between teachers I heard yesterday. Even the teachers are wary of each other, competing with each other and deceiving each other to get to the top class.

I don't know whether that competition is meant to raise one's salary as a teacher, or if it's something carried over between Chabashira-sensei and Hoshinomiya-sensei from their student days. I'm sure the school and the teachers do attempt to make the system a fair one. If information were to unfairly be leaked, that in itself would be a severe problem. The teachers cannot avoid taking the responsibility for that. Considering that, it is very probable that Ichinose was assigned to (Rabbit) group without being told anything in particular. She possesses sharp insight and observation abilities after all. Sooner or later she will begin to suspect something is up. About 'why' should was assigned to (Rabbit) group in particular. It would be fine if she writes it off as a coincidence. But Hoshinomiya-sensei is bad at hiding her emotions so she would inevitably find out that she was sent to scout out Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

If that happens, I need to consider a counterattack. And just by thinking on it, I have already begun solidfying my defenses. "So what are the two of you talking about this late at night? Isn't this by itself a big problem?". "Big problem? As a teacher, isn't it obvious for me to respond to my student's anxieties and consult them on it" Chabashira-sensei replies to Hoshinomiya-sensei. "But if that's true, couldn't you do it in a more open place? There's no need to be sneaky with him".

As Hoshinomiya-sensei tries to figure her out, Chabashira-sensei maintains her sense of rationality and calm. "It's what Ayanokouji himself requested. He wanted to consult me in private without anyone knowing" she finally replies.

"Hmmm...well it's not like I have any complaints towards this". "I see, if you understand then go back to the bar. I'll join you shortly". "Ok, ok! Take your time, but remember not to do anything sexual" Hoshinomiya-sensei tells Chabashira-sensei. And leaving behind such an unnecessary warning, Hoshinomiya-sensei went back into the ship. It seems she's capable of concealing her presence very easily. "Sorry. For being troublesome teachers". "No such thing". Chabashira-sensei did not say anything about me being scouted out. I don't know what's going on between the two of them, but honestly this has nothing to do with me.

"Anyways, continuing where we left off. The biggest thing bought with points in the past". When I nodded slightly, Chabashira-sensei looked thoughtfully at me. "If I have to say, it would be 'to change the rules of the school'. Of course you can only change it realistically. For instance, you could change the regulations to allow you to arrive at school a minute later than usual and such". Chabashira-sensei chose to use an example to explain rather than a fact. "So only an example?". "Dissatisfied?". "No, it's ok. With this I can more or less understand the school system and the uses of points better". That means depending on how you use your points, even if it's for a trivial reason, one can challenge the school system itself. It seems private points are an extremely vital asset. "You could've asked that through mail. You didn't need to call me out for that" Chabashira-sensei says.

"Because sending a mail to you leaves a record. I'd like to avoid that" I tell her. And I decided to leave it at that and headed for an exit other than the one Hoshinomiya-sensei just used. While there are quite a lot of things I would like to confirm with her, I suppose this is enough for now. "I will be asking you for a favor soon" I tell her. And when I turned to leave, Chabashira-sensei for a moment, looked at me uncertainly.

4

Midnight. Or more precisely, two hours past midnight. It seems my roommate has woken up quietly. Taking care not to wake the other three sleeping in the room, he slowly got off the bed. Since students were required by the school's rules to sleep in their jerseys, they can also leave their rooms while wearing it. Having confirmed that he was not simply going to the toilet, I also grabbed my room's card key and got off the bed myself. There's no guarantee that he'll make his move today, but it seems the results of my work are finally showing themselves.

Once he realized I was also awake, he quickly turned to look at me. Our eyes met. And without looking away from his eyes, I told him there's something I needed to talk to him about. He replied that he would be waiting in the corridor. Then he left the room, and out in the corridor he was waiting for me with a slightly troubled expression. It was Hirata who was waiting for me with that troubled expression. "Did I wake you or were you already awake, which one is it?" he asks me.

"The latter. I thought you'd leave the room tonight" I replied. "Why did you think that? Tonight's the first night I actually left the room at night". I assessed the situation and decided beating around the bush would get us nowhere and asked him honestly. "Isn't it just that Karuizawa contacted you tonight?" I asked him. And with that one word he seemed to understand everything. As expected of Hirata, indeed his ability to comprehend situations is unparalleled. "Do you know something?" he asks. "I'm in the same group as Karuizawa after all. I don't know to what extent, but more or less I understand the situation" I told him.

Hirata seemed to be waiting for me to say more. And indeed, with that explanation I gave just now, it still wouldn't be enough of a reason for me to follow him out into the night. "You once told me you wanted me to act as the bridge between you and Horikita, right?" I asked him. "I see, so you're here because Horikita-san ordered you to, is that it?" he asks in response. This saves me the trouble of having to explain more to him so it is most convenient for me.

"Yes. She ordered me to report everything from (Rabbit) group to her, including Karuizawa's situation. So once I heard about Karuizawa's situation and reported back to her, she ordered me to watch you as well. Of course she ordered me to eavesdrop on you, but since you told me to be the bridge between you and her, I thought I'd rather not sneak up on you. This is a chance for me to hear it from you as well" I told Hirata. "What information does she want?" he asks me. "Everything that Hirata knows about Karuizawa, and the contents of your talk with her" I told him.

It seems Hirata, who does not yet know the circumstances of the (Rabbit) group is confused as to why she would need information on Karuizawa in particular on top of information on the group itself. But at the very least he understands that this information is likely to affect what happens in the future. "I'm not sure how much I can tell you, I still need to consider Karuizawa-san's feelings" Hirata tells me. And with that, Hirata started walking down the corridor. In this calm scenario, I also don't feel like forcing him to talk so I also walked after him with a calm pace free of worry. Even though I'd laid in bed for around two hours, my hair is still in perfect condition. I don't care for it much myself, but to make sure people don't feel uncomfortable when looking at me, I need to consider my hair.

"I'm sure Ayanokouji-kun won't say anything unnecessary, but what I'm about to tell you is extremely sensitive information. And there's the possibility Karuizawa-san will simply refuse to talk and go back. I'd just like you to keep those facts in mind" Hirata tells me. There's always the option of me simply eavesdropping on them while concealing myself, but there's no way Hirata would allow something like that. Since this is something Karuizawa does not want anybody else to hear, he would never allow me to eavesdrop like that. So in this scenario, the best I could do is nod in answer.

The meeting place was in front of a vending machine located in a rest area on the second floor. It was in the middle of a long corridor on the ship. A place easy to notice, yet also easy for someone to notice if there are people eavesdropping on them. The location makes it extremely difficult to hide oneself and listen in. Karuizawa was already there, in a jersey, sitting on a sofa while waiting for Hirata. At first when she saw him she smiled for a moment, but when she saw me behind Hirata she quickly lost the smile and it was replaced with an angry expression. "Why is Ayanokouji-kun together with Hirata-kun?" she asks. "It's ok I called him and we came together" Hirata answers her.

"Hirata-kun did?...why? I told you I wanted to talk to you alone" she asked him. "I know, but I was worried about what Karuizawa-san told me on the phone. So I brought along Ayanokouji-kun, who seems to understand the situation. Sorry for acting alone like ths" Hirata apologized to her. Even though Karuizawa looked extremely dissatisfied with the situation, it doesn't seem like she would just snap like that at Hirata. "But...I still want to talk to you alone..." Karuizawa tells Hirata. "If need be, but you never told me we'd be talking alone on the phone though" Hirata replied to her.

I could more or less already infer that this is related to the trouble with Class C led by Manabe. But I wonder how Karuizawa would approach this topic. If she just wanted to cheer herself up by talking with Hirata, there was no need to insist being alone with him. That means she wishes to talk about a subject she cannot afford an outsider to hear. In any case, remaining silent like this would be pointless. And so Hirata began talking about the contents of their call. "You were telling me about the quarrel you had with Manabe-san and her friends from Class C. Is that true?" he asks her.

In response to that question Karuizawa opened her mouth slightly to answer but perhaps she's still wary of my presence, no answer came forth. It was once again Hirata that broke the silence. "Does Ayanokouji-kun already know about your quarrel with Manabe-san and the others?". "Somewhat". Since the conversation with her does not seem to be going well, Hirata seemingly is intending on asking me instead. Karuizawa still seemed to be discontent with the situation, but obediently remained silent and listened to our conversation. That might be because I was the one who saw Karuizawa being bullied by Manabe back then.

"From what Karuizawa-san's told me, it seems they accused her first. And then dragged her off to an isolated place and were on the verge of attacking her violently" Hirata tells me. "Yes. That's true. I witnessed it myself. Also Yukimura also witnessed it" I replied to him. "I see..." Hirata said while looking at me thoughtfully. Then he closed his eyes. In this case, I wonder what Hirata's judgment would be? Call Manabe and the others and reprimand them? Or report it to the school? "If Manabe-san and the others indeed used violence, then we definitely need to do something about it. I cannot allow friends to use violence against each other" Hirata declared.

Hearing to those words overflowing with a heroic sense of justice, I saw Karuizawa smile at Hirata for a moment. But once she realized I was looking at her, she immediately reverted back to her angry expression. "Karuizawa-san, you were bullied to the point of not being able to fight back right?" he asks her. "No....". Unable to even answer properly, Karuizawa simply stared silently. But since she did not deny it, it seems to be the truth after all.

It seems Karuizawa had a bit of trouble with a girl named Rika in the past. Manabe and the others tried to make her apologize for it. But in the end, things almost escalated to violence with Karuizawa. Having heard the story, Hirata nodded. "I see, that's why you told me something like that" he said at last. "Something like that?" I asked. "Karuizawa-san told me to stand up for her and get back at Manabe-san and the others" Hirata tells me. This is a lot more straightforward talk than I expected.