Chapter 24 - The Contract

---Notice—

I really want some opinions on this chapter, so let me know what you think.

other than that, I demand Powerstones, lol. If you dont have any, and even if you do, I'd appreciate a review or even a comment.

Any support means a lot, can hopefully get this story out there.

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"A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist." ~Franklin Jones

"Totsuka? That does seem plausible," Kanzaki muses.

Ichinose merely grins and chuckles at Kanzaki's words, "I had anticipated a bit more skepticism from you."

"I'm not entirely pessimistic. Besides, if what you both say is true, then there are only disadvantages to deceiving us in this agreement," Kanzaki retorts.

"Well, I suppose we've covered everything necessary," I remark, preparing to depart.

"Kanzaki, are you joining us?" Ichinose inquires as she trails behind me.

"No, I requested a copy of the contract from Hoshinomiya, so I'll just wait here," Kanzaki responds, and thus Ichinose and I exit the tent.

"Alright, I'll procure that copy immediately for you, Kanzaki Kun, and record Eru Kun's information for consideration after the exam concludes," Hoshinomiya, who has been silent since the conversation began, says behind me.

"Finished with your discussion, Eru, Ichinose?" Kikyo inquires, her voice cheerful.

"Indeed, it was a simple matter," I respond.

"Apologies for the delay," Ichinose says, "I didn't mean to keep you two waiting."

"No problem; Horikita and I were just discussing Class B's progress," Kikyo responds.

"As I mentioned earlier, there's still room for improvement. We'll strive for that," Ichinose adds, her tone reflecting her determination.

Horikita simply nods.

"With this test, we hope Class B can gain some ground on Class A. They seem to be in a bit of chaos. Isn't Class D excited as well? I heard Class C isn't taking the exam seriously," Ichinose continues.

"We might surpass Class C, but that doesn't mean our path is clear. Classes A and B are still far ahead," Horikita replies, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I see. My apologies if I seemed insensitive," Ichinose quickly responds, her tone sincere.

"There is no need for apologies. Every class has earned its position in one way or another. Class D can't complain about the position they've earned," I interject.

"Thank you. Anyway, who does Class D rally around? Is it you, Eru? Or perhaps Hirata or Kushida? I could even see it being Horikita. Now that I think about it, Class D has quite a few talented members."

"Most in our class gather around Hirata and Kushida," Horikita responds uninterestedly.

"I see. It never truly seemed that way. Kushida and Hirata are definitely charismatic, but I've never truly seen them as the representatives of Class D," Ichinose counters.

"Why is that?" Horikita asks, her interest piqued.

"Well, Hirata is on the soccer team, right? That's mostly where I know him from. He's very social and charismatic. And, of course, I know Kushida. She's both of those things as well, and I heard she's also smart and goes above and beyond for her classmates. But I always believed there was more to Class D. For example, I may be the leader here in Class B, but I have people like Kanzaki who are smart, and I know I can rely on them. In a way, he also leads the class; he makes up for a lot of what I lack," Ichinose explains.

"I see. Then I'm sure you've heard of Horikita's intellect, met with me, and assumed we must serve as aides in some way. And I guess you wouldn't be wrong. In a way, we do represent our class, but Hirata and Kikyo definitely are the biggest faces of our class. Basically, everything runs through them. It's out of necessity," I respond, my tone analytical.

"I see. I guess that makes sense. Class D is a very good-natured class. It would make sense that good-natured people like Hirata and Kushida lead the direction of the class," Ichinose says, her tone thoughtful.

"You're flattering me too much, Ichinose," Kikyo says, a blush creeping onto her face.

"Ichinose, I'm curious. Would Class B happen to have any idea where Class A is located?" Horikita asks, her tone serious.

It seems Ayanokoji hasn't told her about the incident on the first day yet.

"Mmm, if you leave this area and head across the river, going straight, there's another camping ground. It's hard to miss. It's a small plain surrounded by trees. If you keep going straight from there, you'll see a cave. Class A is camping inside of there. They don't seem to want visitors, though, so I never actually went inside," Ichinose explains.

"Interesting." 

As Horikita and Ichinose conversed, a particular figure caught my attention—Mio Ibuki from Class C. It was a familiar face, one I had previously encountered during my visit to Class C. Our eyes met, but I remained silent. Her presence here was none of my concern, and any words of mine would likely fall on deaf ears within Class B.

Shortly after my observation of Ibuki, a girl from Class B approached Ichinose, whispering something into her ear. The content of their exchange remained unknown to me, but upon its conclusion, Ichinose addressed us.

"I'm sorry to interrupt our conversation, but sadly, there are some things that require my attention within Class B," Ichinose said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Understandable. We intended to pay a visit to Class A anyway, so this works out. Best of luck with your class matters," I responded.

"Thank you for your understanding, and good luck to you as well. Once this is all over, Classes B and D should definitely celebrate together," Ichinose said, a smile gracing her features.

"That sounds wonderful!" Kikyo exclaimed.

With that, Ichinose began to walk away with the student she had been conversing with.

"Let's proceed," I instructed Horikita and Kikyo , promptly setting off in the direction of Class A.

As we ventured deeper into the woods, I paused, "You two may proceed to explore Class A on your own. I have a separate matter to attend to here."

"What are you planning to do?" Horikita and Kikyo inquired, their curiosity evident.

However, time was of the essence, and a detailed explanation would be counterproductive. "I'll explain later. This is a matter of some urgency," I responded before walking away from the duo.

Ichinose, what could be so urgent that it demands your immediate attention? It must be related to a crucial resource like water or food, or perhaps something time-sensitive, like the refresh of the terminal.

The issue is, I'm not certain of the terminal's exact location. However, I've gathered enough clues to make an educated guess. The terminals, we've encountered are always situated near valuable land and tend to lean against something. They never stand alone in the middle of the forest. This holds true for Class D's terminal, and from Ayanokoji's description, it should apply to Class A's terminal in the cave as well. I've observed the same pattern with other terminals in the forest.

To reach Class B, we followed a river westward, originating from a small waterfall. Given this information, I can deduce that the terminal is not east or anywhere downstream from where we came. Despite Class B's naivety, they would still exercise caution with their terminal and wouldn't allow us to stumble upon it easily.

I can also rule out the possibility of the terminal being on the other side of the river. It would be inconvenient to cross the river every time one needs to access the terminal, and it would be easy to spot one crossing or who has crossed the river. So, that leaves two possibilities: the terminal is north, inside the forest, attached to a tree like Class D's terminal, or it's against the mountain from which the waterfall originates," I thought to myself as I ventured north into the forest.

However, if the terminal were against the mountain, it would be too easy to spot. Anyone following the mountain could come across it. Not to mention, shortly after Amikura whispered into Ichinose's ear, their focus shifted north into the forest.

"Orienting reflex, a phenomenon in psychology, it refers to the shift in attention towards a specific object or area in an environment in response to a cue. It's something I take advantage of often. In a situation where one is vulnerable or isn't expecting a certain trigger or stimulus, it's simple to take advantage of. 'Don't forget dinner is at 8:00 pm,' a statement like that could result in a person checking the time, especially if a time-checking instrument is readily available. I could have found Class B's terminal myself simply by investigating the north side of Ichinose's campsite, but Amikura and Ichinose made my task ten times easier. Ichinose's gaze gave it all away.

Silently yet swiftly, I navigated toward the area that had captured Ichinose's attention. My progress in locating the terminal was minimal until the crunching of leaves reached my ears. The sound originated from behind me, and given the absence of animals on this island, it could only signify one thing - the cardholder. I positioned myself behind a large tree, allowing the cardholder to pass me unnoticed. However, it wasn't just one individual who arrived here, but six. Ichinose was present, accompanied by Amikura, Kanzaki, Shiranami, Hamaguchi, and Watanabe - three females and three males. As they advanced into the forest, I followed silently, maintaining a distance to avoid detection.

It appeared they had brought multiple classmates to the terminal in an attempt to obscure the true leader. Unfortunately for them, it's impossible to completely conceal your leader in this exam. I've already identified each possible method of doing so and even predicted which one Class B would use given their large group. I am likely correct in my deduction.

Soon, the six members of Class B reached the terminal. Upon arrival, they engaged in casual conversation and quickly formed a 'T' shape around the terminal. Ichinose was at the front of the terminal, with Kanzaki facing to her right and Amikura to her left, both ensuring that no one could see the terminal or card from Ichinose's sides while providing Ichinose cover. After all, the terminal changes colors when it's properly refreshed. A few steps behind her were Hamaguchi, Shiranami, and Watanabe, lined up in that order.

The moment the six individuals assumed their positions, I glanced at my watch. From 3:24:27 to 3:24:40, Ichinose was in front of the terminal. She then swapped places with Kanzaki, who remained there from 3:24:43 to 3:24:53. The rotation continued with Amikura from 3:24:58 to 3:25:06, Hamaguchi from 3:25:10 to 3:25:21, Shiranami from 3:25:24 to 3:25:31, and finally, Watanabe from 3:25:35 to 3:25:45.

Shortly after their rotation, the card was returned to Ichinose, and I could hear the cheerful chatter of the group of six as they moved away from the terminal. I allowed them some time to ensure no one was nearby.

In reality, the most effective way to protect your cardholder would be to occupy a closed area like Class A, where no one else is privy to what's happening in your area. But in an area like Class B's and Class D's, you can only rely on tricks to hide your leader, mostly ineffective tricks. For instance, how Class D hid Horikita by surrounding her around the terminal. It may not sound foolish, but to someone with a good memory, it's worthless. If you simply take note of who is covering or which figure stands out after the refresh, spotting the leader is a simple matter. Even deducing the leader like Ayanokoji would be a simple matter. One might think of creating an enclosed area with a blanket or something to hide the identity of your leader, but the terminal uses face identification. It needs light to function, so that idea becomes more challenging to implement. It also prevents you from seeing your surroundings while others can see you outside that enclosed area.

I slowly rose and approached Class B's terminal.

Class B's idea of deceiving by passing around the card was a decent one, but that makes it obvious and easy to build countermeasures against.

I glanced at Class B's terminal, then at my watch. "It's 3:29:02, the terminal is at 07:56:25, so it was you, Chihiro Shiranami," I concluded.

***Ryuji Kanzaki POV***

"We did that quicker than expected," Shiranami remarks as we approach the camp.

"Indeed, we did. I hope you all can bear with this a little longer. After all, we're nearing the end of this exam," I reassure Shiranami and the rest of the group.

"This is nothing, Kanzaki Kun. You and Ichinose San shoulder much more than we do, so this is hardly a burden," Amikura responds. The empathy of my classmates in Class B is heartening, yet it also stirs a sense of concern within me, especially considering individuals like Ryuen.

"That's not entirely accurate. I'm sure Ichinose San would agree that whenever we're working for the benefit of Class B, it brings us nothing but joy," I tell the group.

"That's true. I'm genuinely happy to be a part of Class B. It feels like where I truly belong," Ichinose affirms as we arrive at the camp.

"Ah, you guys are finally back," Minamikata greets us as we arrive.

"We are indeed, but we weren't gone for long, Minamikata San," I say, a chuckle escaping my lips.

Caught off guard, Minamikata laughs back, slightly embarrassed. "Yes, I suppose that's true."

"Ichinose, don't you think we should inform them about the contract so they aren't taken aback at the end of the exam?" I suggest to Ichinose. At this point, it seems like a reasonable idea since providing misleading information wouldn't benefit Eru. He would be better off accepting the offer to scrap the contract Ichinose had extended to him so his information could be trusted. Given this, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let the class know of our plans in advance.

"That seems like a sensible approach," Ichinose agrees with a smile and begins to gather our classmates. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make," Ichinose declares in the center of the camp once most have gathered. "We have struck a deal with Class D, and they have provided us with the name of Class A's leader."

As Ichinose finishes her statement, a buzz of chatter begins to fill the air. "Ichinose, we all trust you, but are you certain the name they provided is accurate?" Hamaguchi inquires.

"I am. It's better if I keep the information close for now, so I won't disclose it, but I can assure you the information is accurate," Ichinose responds. The worried expressions of the Class B members quickly shift from concern to excitement, although there are still those who appear anxious. So, I decided to stand next to Ichinose and address them.

"If it helps alleviate any of your concerns, I can also vouch for the credibility of this information. I know it may sound strange, but it's true. The information we received is undoubtedly invaluable. We will have to provide the one who gave us the information with half the private points that result from it, but I think that's reasonable given the value of class points," I reassure the class.

"If this is true, we should be expressing our gratitude to Class D," classmates begin to say, their voices filled with joyous celebration.

As the class began to celebrate with palpable excitement, I noticed a peculiar figure standing out in the crowd from the corner of my eye. It was Eru from Class D. Hadn't Ichinose mentioned that he had left with his classmates to visit Class A? He seemed to be in conversation with Shiranami, but she soon ran off after their brief exchange.

Eru was an enigma for the most part. His eccentricity was undeniable, and while his attractiveness was acknowledged, his 'weirdness' deterred most from approaching him. If not for this trait, he would undoubtedly be popular. But what intrigued me the most at this moment was understanding why he was here.

"Eru? Why are you here? Didn't you leave with Horikita and Kushida to scout Class A a while ago?" Ichinose, too, seemed curious about Eru's unexpected appearance in Class B.

"Yes, I did leave with them, but an emergency arose, and I had to return here," Eru responded, his tone flat and devoid of any further explanation.

"I see. Are you okay? Did something bad happen to you?" Ichinose asked, approaching Eru with evident concern. "What happened with Shiranami?"

"I sent her to fetch Hoshinomiya and Chabashira for me," Eru replied once again, his response leaving much to the imagination.

"Oh no, what happened?" Ichinose continued to inquire, her worry escalating by the second. But logically thinking, it didn't make sense. Eru seemed to be in perfect condition, and his wristband would have activated, promptly providing him with help if he was in any kind of medical danger.

In the background, Shiranami came running back out of breath, with Hoshinomiya and Chabashira close behind her.

"I-I got them as soon as I could…" Shiranami paused to catch her breath "and told them it was an emergency."

"Ah yes, thank you very much for that," Eru said before he began to clear his throat, seemingly preparing to call something out.

And I was right. A loud yet calm voice echoed around the camp, "The leaders of Classes C and D are Kakeru Ryuen and Suzune Horikita, respectively." Ichinose didn't seem to grasp the implications of Eru's words immediately, and most of Class B appeared bewildered. However, a few moments after processing his words, a chill ran down my spine.

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What did you think of the chapter? The ending may be a little difficult to understand, but it will be explained in the next chapter. I honestly think the next chapter is necessary to understand where the story is heading, so be ready for that, even if you didn't like this chapter.

other than that, let me know what you thought in the comments; thank you.

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