Do You Want to Win More?

Hikigaya's words left Ryuen feeling as if he had swallowed a fly.

The sensation was nauseating, as though he had painstakingly pieced together a solution, only to discover that his opponent had been sitting at the finish line all along, sipping coffee and watching every one of his moves with a knowing smirk.

"Oh? So you've figured it out already, have you?" Ryuen's grin twisted into a sneer, trying to mask his discomfort. "I bet you didn't expect it either—Kushida, the girl everyone in your class trusts, the most popular student in our year, would turn traitor and collaborate with me. But that's just who she is, isn't it? A backstabber by nature."

He was clearly trying to provoke Hikigaya, but his attempt was futile—his information was outdated.

"Don't be ridiculous. I saw right through Kushida the moment I laid eyes on her. None of this surprises me."

"Tch. You talk like you know her."

Seeing Ryuen still unwilling to concede, Hikigaya decided to end the conversation. "Ryuen, there's no need to test me about my relationship with Kushida," he said earnestly. "She didn't tell me anything. Remember that night I ran into you? You were acting so strange that I couldn't help but follow you. Honestly, the way you were sneaking around, trying to check if anyone was tailing you, was pretty hilarious—reminded me of Katsuragi."

"Ugh…" Ryuen stood up abruptly, clearly feeling that continuing the conversation was pointless. Maybe comparing him to Katsuragi was a step too far.

In truth, Hikigaya hadn't followed Ryuen at all. He had made that up.

"Don't rush off," Hikigaya called after him, grinning. "Didn't you just boast about winning big? How about we count your victories? From where I'm standing, you haven't won much at all."

"Che, don't get cocky, Rotten Eyes," Ryuen grumbled, sitting back down. "No matter what, I've figured out the pattern in this exam. Even if you've figured it out too, do you know the biggest difference between us?"

Without waiting for a response, Ryuen smirked and answered his question. "It's control. I have complete control over my class. When I give an order, no matter how unreasonable, they'll obey. But you? Even if you figured out the pattern and told someone like Horikita or anyone else, you can't guarantee they'll believe you. I don't think they trust you enough."

Hikigaya knew there was some truth to that. Just knowing the names of his class's VIPs didn't mean he could prove the pattern was correct. While it wasn't impossible to convince Horikita and the others, it would be a hassle. More importantly, he had no interest in trying.

"Ryuen, you don't need to waste your breath trying to convince me. I've said it before—I don't care about inter-class competition."

Ryuen chuckled darkly. "Can you come up with some new lines? I'm getting tired of hearing the same old thing."

"...Fine." Hikigaya sighed, then pulled out his phone, typing something quickly. He turned the screen toward Ryuen.

"These names… look familiar?" The list displayed the names of all the VIPs and their corresponding groups.

"What do you think will happen if I send this message to every student on this ship?"

Ryuen's face hardened. "If you do that, won't you expose yourself too?"

"I've told you, I don't care who wins or loses."

"Ugh…" Ryuen was visibly thrown off by the suggestion.

Despite having figured out the pattern, Ryuen hadn't immediately sent out betrayal texts. He wanted to protect the VIPs in his class. After all, things could change in an instant—like with Kouenji. Losing a VIP would be a significant blow.

But Ryuen couldn't afford to act rashly. If he attacked now, he would expose the VIPs in his class, which could lead to Class B and Class D banding together to crack the pattern. In that case, Class C would lose 150 points.

Ryuen planned to wait until the third day of the exam, at 9 p.m., when all group discussions would be over and communication between classes would be forbidden. That's when he'd command his class to send their betrayal texts.

Now, though, Hikigaya had thrown everything into chaos.

If he sent that message, it would be a race to see who could send their texts the fastest. Even if Ryuen managed to strike Class B and Class D first, he'd only earn 250 points, excluding Kushida's group. Class C would lose 150 points in the process and have already paid 50 points to Class A for their cooperation. In the end, the exam would net him a mere 50 points—a result Ryuen could never accept.

If it were anyone else, Ryuen might think they were bluffing. But Hikigaya… Ryuen knew this guy was serious.

"So, are you ready to listen now?" Hikigaya asked with a smile.

"…What do you want?"

Ryuen probably thought Hikigaya just wanted to mock him. But that wasn't Hikigaya's intention at all. It was a misunderstanding, though he couldn't deny it was amusing.

"I'm just wondering what you plan to do with Kushida's group. Even if she told you who the VIPs are, she wouldn't agree to a Result Three, right? Or maybe you're aiming for Result Two?"

If Ryuen had agreed, it would have been easy. But he gave the answer Hikigaya had expected.

"I'll convince Kanzaki and Katsuragi to cooperate and aim for Result One."

"Is that so… You've got some nerve."

"Everyone will get personal points. Kushida agreed without much fuss."

As Hikigaya had predicted, Ryuen planned to betray Kushida at the first opportunity.

Result One required all three classes to know the VIPs' identities and trust one another enough not to betray anyone. It wasn't just about trust—it implied there had been some kind of deal between the VIPs and the other classes.

At that point, Ryuen could use Kushida's betrayal as leverage to expose her as a traitor. For any other class, it might be manageable, but for Class D, her betrayal would be devastating, possibly leaving them in ruins. Ryuen had no intention of letting such a powerful weapon slip away.

"Let's put that aside for now," Hikigaya said, casually changing the subject. "Didn't you mention before that you brought me in as a mediator because I hate Class B?"

"Yeah, but didn't you refuse?" Ryuen asked, confused by the sudden shift.

Hikigaya shook his head. "I do dislike someone in Class B, but I turned you down because your plan was too small-time. Even if it works, you'll only take 150 points from Class B and gain a measly 50. Isn't that a bit underwhelming?"

"…Then what do you suggest?"

"It's not about what I want," Hikigaya said, smiling earnestly. "The question is—are you willing to work with me?"

His eyes gleamed as he posed the question that would change the course of the exam.

"Ryuen, do you want to win more?"