6

Kei Karuizawa Monologue

' In the end, even after I entered this school.Nothing had changed.The reason for that was very simple.I understand myself more than anyone else does. '

As Karuizawa Kei got out of the shower attached to the student rooms, she looked at herself in the mirror.Suddenly feeling dizzy and nauseated, Karuizawa Kei quickly puts her hands on the sink and vomits into it.

' Why?I repeated the same question to myself countless times.The past is immutable.I cannot change anyone or anything from the past anymore.My very personality was destroyed by the nightmare of that time; I had also lost my youth, my friends and myself to it.No matter how much they hate me, it's still better than suffering that again.The most important thing is that I protect myself.I am...a parasite, a weak creature incapable of surviving on its own. '

______________________________

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji monologue

[Three days have passed since the test on the uninhabited island.]

' On the luxurious cruise ship our school provided us with, nothing of note was happening and there was a peaceful lull.Even though it was against my will, I was still forced to change my original trajectory after entering this school.Initially, I chose to enter this school for a very specific reason."Contact with the outside until graduation is forbidden".Right now, a "certain man" is attempting to contact me from the outside. '

' Chabashira-sensei was the one who informed me of this.Furthermore, she blackmailed me into helping her take the class to A Class by threatening to forcibly expel me if I did not comply.But I will not be blackmailed by her forever.For now, I will gather the necessary information, and depending on the circumstances I will have to make the first move.But, I guess, not only the environment, but I myself slightly changed, because now, unlike before, I did consider someone to be my ally and not a tool. '

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka glances at Akabane Karma, who's sitting beside him.

' Akabane Karma - my classmate, my seatmate and my... ally.It's still strange for me to consider someone to be my ally.At first, I thought he met me just to get to know a classmate better.Yes, he wanted to get to know me better, to be my friend, but also, he knew I was different.He knew there was something behind my poker face, and he wanted to get it out.That would make him my enemy right away, but he offered a compromise. '

' We would use each other in order for us to graduate.I agreed to his deal because, since he knew about my secret, he must also have kept something similar in himself.And my hunch was correct.If I had to describe him in one word, I would call him... an assassin. '

' Not only does he have good reflexes and survival skills, but he also knows how to use his bloodlust at will.If I were asked who would win the battle between him and me, I would say, "I don't know, but it's likely that I would win." I would add that phrase because, like Karma, I don't know his full potential.But even so, I would not lose to him.After all, I always win. '

_____________________________

Yosuke tilt his head at the two boys." Hmm?Have you been in your room this whole time? "

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" There's no reason for me to go out, I don't have anyone to spend time with anyways." Kiyotaka replied making Karma pout.

" Ehh?!I'm not a person who you would like to spend time with, Ayano-kun? "

Kiyotaka ignores his comment, making Karma's eyebrows twitch.

" There's Sudou and Horikita as well.I think Ayanokouji-kun will be able to make more friends if you were a bit more aggressive." Yosuke suggestively said." Akabane-kun on the other hand, should be quieter.I'm planning to go out with Karuizawa-san at 12:30 to have lunch together.Would you like to tag along with us?I'm sure it'll be fun to have you with us. "

Karma looked unconvinced at the explanation." Is it just Karuizawa? "

" Not exactly, there are 3 other girls that will be with us.Do you dislike that?" Yosuke looked a bit hesitant by the answer no.

Kiyotaka's eyes focus on a daze.' If I have to admit the truth, I've wanted to talk a bit with Karuizawa for a while now... But rather than getting excited, I have the feeling they won't like it if I'm around. '

Karma lean backwards." Pass, I don't think I'll get along with Karuizawa's group, Ayano-kun won't too. "

Kiyotaka nod.

Hirata sits down near them, having realized that they did not want to initiate new relationships with people." I can understand why you would be reluctant, but I want you two to depend on me. "

Kiyotaka declined by shaking his head." Only 10 minutes to go before lunch, I think you should leave us now. "

" There's no need to hurry, besides I think it's fun being with you like this now.Then how about we have lunch with just the three of us together, will you be happy with that?" Yosuke pushed in, no bounderies on giving up.

Karma cross his arms." We're fine with it, but you need to consider Karuizawa's feelings. "

" It's ok, I can eat with Karuizawa-san whenever I want, but with you Ayanokouji-kun, Karma-kun, I have limited opportunities to eat together." Yosuke intently stares at the two of them.

" I don't want Karuizawa to hate us later on." Karma add.

" It's ok, Karuizawa-san isn't the type to be angry at you for something like that." Yosuke smiled.

Kiyotaka sweatdrop at the polite battle between the two.

Karma laughed." No, no.Karuizawa's definitely that type of girl. "

" I think I'll cancel the lunch with Karuizawa-san after all." With that, yosuke quickly pulls out his mobile and calls Karuizawa.They tried to stop him but Hirata uses his hands to cover their eyes and stop them.

" do you have anything to eat in particular?" Yosuke ask the two.

Karma sighed in defeat." I can eat anything... "

Kiyotaka followed." I'd just like to avoid heavy foods if possible. "

Hirata cancels his date with Karuizawa.They couldn't clearly hear Karuizawa's voice through the call but Hirata forcibly shut her down and cancelled the date anyways.

Karma gives a sweaty glance at Yosuke's declination." Are you really fine with this? "

" Of course.Let's go to the deck.If it's only snacks it'll be easier to eat out there anyway." Hirata gives a bright smile as he opened the door and pulled them out of it.

" Thank you for cooperating during the island test.I cannot thank you enough, Ayanokouji-kun, Akabane-kun.You even helped me look for the culprit "

" Don't thank us for it.The credit belongs to Horikita.She's the one who found the culprit that stole the underwear " Kiyotaka said.

Karma snort at the comment.' Still hiding in the shadows, I see. '

They would think of it as a hero in Class D living in the shadows only to realize that he's in neither of a hero or a villain rather, it's basically like chess, he's neither black or white instead, he's the hands that move them both.

" Of course that is true, but I still want to thank Ayanokouji-kun and Akabane-kun who cooperated with me without reservation. "

Kiyotaka then looked around to see if there were any people around." Did you return Karuizawa's underwear to her yourself? "

" Yeah, after all Ibuki-san was the culprit so she was able to accept it smoothly. "

From the elevator in the cruise ship to the deck, students seemed to be enjoying their summer vacation in their favorite dresses.Since there was also an onboard pool nearby both male and female students were boldly wearing swimsuits and swimming in the pool.By the time our trio reached the restaurant, over half the seats had already been filled.The three of them quickly secured the vacant seats that still remained amongst the crowded restaurant.

Yosuke turn his head to them." To be honest...I have something I'd like to talk to you about "

Kiyotaka glance back." What is it? "

" I may not be the best listener as Ayano-kun but.. do you have a short version of it?" Karma ask.

" I would like you to be the bridge between me and Horikita-san, I think Horikita-san will be an indispensable person to D Class in the future and I would very much like to work together with her. "

Once the two boys gave their full acceptance, Yosuke continued." Even the other day, it was thanks to Horikita-san's efforts that D Class won an unexpected victory.The morale of the class is soaring.I think the number of students who like Horikita-san has also gone up which is a huge change from before. "

Kiyotaka hummed ." But even if you bridge the gap between you and Horikita, it won't go over that easily. "

Karma shake his head." Suzu-chan's just that type of person.It's easier said than done; usually we're the ones following Suzu-... "

" To be more precise, we've never really given Horikita any opinions before.If we started giving our opinions on matters suddenly it would seem strange." Kiyotaka cut in.

Yosuke sighed." But as of right now I don't have any better ideas.Even if I were to talk to Horikita-san about this right now, I don't have the confidence that I'd be able to convince her to work together with us.This is my last resort. "

For now, the duo ordered sandwiches and some drinks.Students were swimming in the pool on the deck while others were eating while still in their swimsuits.The mood amongst the students seemed to be a festive one.

If Ike and Yamauchi were here, they'd be drooling more at the girls' swimsuits than the meal itself.Yosuke, on the other hand, paid no attention to the girls at all but instead was staring at them.

" Yeah, like Ayanokouji-kun and Akabane-kun said, my plan may have been a poorly thought-out one.It seems I'll have to rethink my approach; Horikita-san is a very serious type of person.How did you manage to get along with her, Akabane-kun, Ayanokouji-kun? "

" Let me refute one of your points.It's not like I'm getting along with Horikita well or anything too, it seems like she doesn't even recognize me as a friend." Kiyotaka's voice still stayed monotone.

" Yeah, she only talks with us about class development.I should also add that Suzu-chan is not the type to make friends easily." Karma point out.

Yosuke looked down a bit. " ... That might be true.I admit I wasn't thinking of her feelings but rather only my own desire for cooperation.I'm sorry, I invited you out here only to listen to my selfish request, let's eat shall we. "

After a while Yosuke became aware that someone was approaching them and looked at the duo with an embarrassed face.

" Ah...so you were here after all, Hirata-kun." Kei stand infront of Yosuke." Let's eat lunch together. "

" Umm...Karuizawa-san, I'm sure I called you a while ago to tell you about cancelling the lunch, but... "

Kei and her friends pull another table, joins it with their table while Kei quickly pushes Kiyotaka out of the group.The lunch suddenly became rather noisy and he, of course, has trouble socializing, which Karma notices, and smirks at him, tauntingly.

Kiyotaka quietly groaned.' In this case I will need to use my special skill "Quickly escape the scene". '

Kiyotaka picked up his food and quietly left.Karma also stands up, and girls took notice of this.

Kei tilt her head." Ehh?You're leaving already, Akabane-kun. "

Karma slowly turns his head with a confused face.' Since when did we became close? '

" Yeah, I already ate and talked with Hirata, so I will be going." True to his words, his trey was empty.Karuizawa seems a little saddened, but she then puts on a smile. "

" Okay, then bye! "

" Bye~. "

Karma quickly comes to Kiyotaka.Their eyes met with Hirata's for a moment, but soon he was surrounded by Kei and the other girls and they could no longer see him.

Having abandoned Hirata to Karuizawa, they decided to return to their rooms having no one to hang out with or talk to.There were wet stains in the corridor.They looked at each other, nodded and walked along the stains, following the stains and noticed a man walking gracefully through the corridor wearing nothing but swim pants.

A staff came running to the man." S-sir!This is a problem for us, if you walk through the corridor while you're wet! "

The staff was already carrying a towel in his hands, as if he's always been carrying it for situations like this.

" Ha Ha Ha!It looks like you've found me." Koenji laughed out.

" Yes, sir. It's the fourth time I've found you like this.I've told you countless times before but please wipe your body off before returning to the ship.D-doing something like this will greatly inconvenience the other guests." The staff had prepared the towel in advance, because he'd already seen this happen many times before.

Koenji turn to the staff with a confident smirk." I make it a principle to never wipe my body down.Do you happen to have pen and paper? "

The staff looked confused." Huh?Uh, I do have a notebook and a pen. "

" Do you know that the signature of a celebrity can unexpectedly have a premium price, sometimes being worth tens of millions abroad? "

" And...what of it? "

Once he had finished scribbling something in the notepad with the pen, Kouenji swiftly handed it back to the staff.It was from a distance so they couldn't see properly but it seems like he had written his name 'Kouenji Rokusuke' on the notepad.

The staff became even more confused." W-What is this? "

" Is it not obvious?It is a signature.Although it is written on such a cheap note, in the future it shall most definitely have tremendous value.I shall give this to you as a present.Accept it gratefully.Do not make me look like a fool; I am the man who will carry Japan's future on his back in the future.As thanks for helping me, I will allow you to work on a much larger luxury ship then, one large enough to make this one look like a commoner's ship. "

Kiyotaka and karma both sweatdrop.' I'd rather not have the ship be too large and run a Titanic risk of sinking. '

Kouenji seemed to be laughing satisfactorily.The staff seemed to have lost his resolve to stop this man and only stared at the now-wet floor dejectedly.To avoid such a problem, our heroes simply and quietly walked past the two of them.

" Oh.If it isn't Ayanokouji-Boy, and Karma-Boy?What a coincidence. "

Unexpectedly hearing their names being called out like that, the duo looked back at him to see the staff boy happily smiling that the target of Kouenji's whims had shifted from him to them.

Karma didn't seem to mind when he's being called by his first name.They did have fun during swinging the trees like Tarzan before.

" Hey, Goldie! "

Kiyotaka ask." Do you have some business with us? "

" No, no.No such thing.I am simply calling out to you two as fellow classmates.After all, you do happen to be my roommates. "

Then Koenji swiped down his hair and almost like a shotgun, water droplets flew off his hair and landed on their faces and uniforms.Of course, Koenji seemed to be so absorbed in himself he did not even realize their predicament, and the twitching eyebrow and smile of Karma.

The staff bowed." Then I will excuse myself. "

" What were you talking with Kouenji about?" Kiyotaka ask the staff.

For a moment, the staff boy seemed to have been slightly angry at being denied a chance to escape Kouenji." It seemed he was wet, so I thought to provide him with a towel...but it seemed I have troubled you three, please excuse me. "

" I see.So he was making an attempt to take care of me?" Koenji state with a chuckle.

" Y-Yeah.That seemed to be it." Karma looked done.

The two boys managed to get away as koenji walk to his room.

Desiring to avoid another awkward encounter, Kiyotaka instead opted to turn right instead of left and chose to return to his room some other time.

Karma chooses to go to his room and nap.

Kiyotaka instead went to the nearby guide board on which the map of the ship was illustrated.As he listlessly walked through the corridors, he met some girl.

Kikyo beamed as she run towards him." Oh.It's Ayanokouji-kun, what are you doing here? "

Kiyotaka didn't seem a bit pleased by her encounterance." Just walking around.Anyways, I haven't talked to you ever since getting back to the ship, Kushida.You were out with quite a lot of friends after all.I even thought I saw you with Karma. "

At the mention of Karma's name, Kikyo winced, but tried to hide it." I'm going out with Class C today; do you want to come with me, Ayanokouji-kun? "

Kiyotaka raise his head." Err...can I join? "

The girl perk up." You're coming? "

" I'm joking; you know I'm not the type to hang out like that. "

" Hmm...I was surprised for a bit, Ayanokouji-kun you're very funny. "

" R-really?" Kiyotaka went silent a bit.' I don't think those were her real thoughts, her true thoughts would definitely be a lot scarier than that. '

' Still, when I mentioned Karma's name, she winced, which means she probably already knew about his presence during our talk, when she revealed her personality.When I meet with him, I should ask if she knows about the recording or not. '

Kikyo then smiled." Then I'll be off. "

Just as she said that, both Kikyo's and Kiyotaka's phones vibrated at the same time.

At the same time, an announcement started over the ship's speakers.

[ This is an announcement to all students; you have received mail to your phones earlier.Check the contents of the mail and follow those instructions closely.If you have not received the mail, please contact your nearest available faculty member.This is a very important announcement so please make sure to not miss it.I repeat—the voice repeated the message. ]

The following was written on the mail in Kiyotaka's phone:

"A special examination will be starting soon.Gather at the designated time in the designated rooms.Students who are more than 10 minutes late for the meeting will receive a penalty.Go to room 204 on the second floor by 18:00 today.Since there is only 20 minutes left until then, please wash your hands and keep your phone in silent mode or turn it off entirely."

Kikyo peered near him." Can I see your mail? "

He showed it to her.She showed him her message too, but despite the basic structure being the same, the gathering point for her was two rooms down from his and the gathering time was 20:40 instead of 18:00.

" I wonder why they'd give us such strange instructions. "

" ... No clue. "

Kiyotaka quickly sent a message via mail to Horikita and she replied to him almost instantly.

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: [Did you receive an email from the school just now?]

Hirikita Suzune: [I did.]

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: [I was appointed to meet at 18:00.What about you?]

Hirikita Suzune: [Mine's at 20:40.It looks like our gathering times are assigned differently.]

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: I see.At 20:40, huh?

' The same meeting time as Kushida. '

Hirikita Suzune: [I'm curious about this difference in starting times; this could give rise to a feeling of unfairness between the students of different groups.]

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: [I can't say for sure at this point.]

They sent messages back and forth but soon a message arrived from Horikita.

Hirikita Suzune: [There are things I'd like to discuss further but there's no time it seems.Since your gathering time is earlier.Please make sure to report back to me.]

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka: [Got it.]

Kiyotaka then shut his cell phone off.

While he was focused on chatting with Suzune, Kikyo was staring at Kiyotaka as if to ask him what's wrong.Kiyotaka received a letter from the school giving him the designated meeting point and location.

__________________________

5 minutes before the designated time he arrived at his destination.

There he met a familiar face.

Karma smiled as he waved in greeting." Good evening, Ayano-kun~! "

Kiyotaka waved back." Evening. "

Karma then set next to Kiyotaka.Students in the corridor were all shuffling into their respectively assigned rooms.

' Students from other classes, huh? '

Karma nod." Seems so. "

Then they looked at each other, nodded and hurried towards the room.Ayanokoji gave a knock and received a quick reply.

" Enter. "

The duo then stepped into the room.There they saw the homeroom teacher for Class A Mashima-sensei sitting on a chair.There were two male students sitting before Mashima-sensei as well.Both were from Class D and people they recognized.

Sotomura Hideo smiled at the two." Ahh.So one of the remaining 2 from our group is you two, Ayanokouji-dono, Akabane-dono.Kopo! "

" Isn't this strange, Ayanokouji, Akabane?" Yukimara ask as he push up his glasses.

Mashima-sensei raise a brow." What are you doing?Have a seat. "

As such, they sat silently beside Yukimura who himself sat beside Sotomura.

" There's one more person who will be joining us, we will quietly wait for them to arrive first. "

Waiting for their last member, a heavy silence fell upon them.Soon the clock hand struck 18:00 and Mashima-sensei looked at the clock only once before a knock was heard on the door.Like in Karma and Ayanokoji, the teacher told the person to enter.

" Excuse me. "

It soon revealed to be Karuizawa Kei who came into the room and sat down in the chair next to Kiyotaka and Karma.

Sotomura and Karma weren't thinking about the situation at all but Yukimura seemed slightly strange.

Mashima-sensei looked unsatisfied by her arrival." I thought the mail told the students to all be punctual, you're late. "

Kei looked down." Sorry. "

Kei seemed to be dissatisfied by Mashima-sensei's words and their existence in general.Kiyotaka's eyes met Kei for a moment and she quickly lifted her chair and placed some distance between them.When Kei saw Karma she waved at him with a smile, who returned the gesture.

Karma sweat behind his smile.' Since when did we became close I ask? '

Kiyotaka stated silent as usual.' Even if it's just 1 mm of increased distance between us, I feel slightly depressed.She hated the idea of being close to me. '

Mashima-sensei then cough his fist." Sotomura, Akabane, Yukimura, Ayanokouji and Karuizawa.I will now explain the contents of the special exam. "

" Ok, wait a minute." Kei spoke up." I don't understand what the meaning of this is, what do you mean by explaining the exam?The exam's already over, right?And what are these people doing here?Isn't this strange? "

The teacher glared sternly." I'm not going to be answering any more questions at this stage, so listen quietly. :

" In this special exam, all the 1st year students will be divided up into groups based on their zodiac signs and the entirety of the examination will be conducted in groups of students sharing the same zodiac sign like the four of you here.The purpose of the test is to assess your 'thinking ability'. "

" What do you mean by 'thinking ability'?" Kei ask again.

" I've already told you I won't be answering questions. "

Kiyotaka and Karma gazed at her and she seemed to have a dissatisfied expression on her face.But they chose to keep quiet and listen.

" There are three required attributes that people who function well in society are required to master: Action, Thinking and Teamwork.

These skills are necessary for you all to become successful adults.The last test on the island emphasized teamwork quite heavily, however, this one will emphasize your thinking.The ability to critically think, analyze the situation at hand and resolve the problem given will be tested in this exam.

The ability to work creatively with imagination and work determinedly towards resolving the problem, such traits will become vital for this task.Therefore this exam will be conducted with 12 groups split up according to their zodiac signs and the exam will occur under those conditions.Are there any questions? "

Kei cross her arms." I don't understand at all; explain it in a clearer way.I get the fact that we're split up into 12 groups but why the hell am I with these guys?Where's Hirata-kun?Where are the other girls?I still don't get the exam anyways. "

Karma wilted a bit.

Mashima-Sensei then explain." Firstly, the five people here will henceforth be considered part of the same group for the remainder of the exam.There are other rooms with other students too; receiving the same explanation you are receiving now.Some of them might later also become parts of your team. "

Kei stands up." If that's the case, why don't you gather all the members here and explain it all at once.Also, why are these three guys in the same team as me?Why do I have to team up with these three disgusting boys?Honestly I really dislike the whole situation.I would much prefer to be with Hirata-kun. "

Karuizawa went on describing her selfish desires.After listening to her speech three boys turned their heads towards Karma, who smirked under their gaze, making them glare a little at him.Yukimura's patience with her has run out.

" Shut up for a while and listen will you?" Yukimura scold." It seems the exam has already started.If you say selfish things like this and our team receives a negative evaluation, will you take responsibility for it?Even back on the island, you were the weak link in the chain holding the class back.Don't hold back the class any more than this. "

That didn't seem to calm the girl as she argue back." Huh?When the hell did I hold the class back, huh?You're really pissing me off. "

The sight of the two of them arguing overwhelmed the other three and they fell quiet.

Karma's adulthood seem to kick in as he gave a time-out at the two students.

" Both of you calm down, firstly Yukimura-kun, your concerns are unfounded.The exam has not yet started in earnest and as such, nothing negative will happen to our team.Besides, this exam is not concerned with your attitude in the first place so you won't be scored in that aspect. "

Kei smiled in satisfaction." See?Now you understand, don't you? "

Kei looked at Yukimura proudly as if it was her victory.On the other hand, Yukimura looked at Karma with disappointment for choosing Kei's side.

Kiyotaka then step ahead from Karma." However, Karuizawa, you also need to change your attitude towards teachers, you know?If you keep this up, it could be a stain on your academic records and you do understand that's not a good thing right? "

Kiyotaka gently chides Kei.This time Yukimura picks his nose while laughing at Kei.Mashima-sensei was staring at them like they were a bunch of elementary school children arguing with each other.

" Look here, the fact that the 4 of you are in a group cannot be rescinded no matter what.So if you want to get good results for yourselves, make sure to get along here." Mashima-sensei reminded.

Kei slumped." Ahh...this sucks.I can't deal with these three guys.I wanted Hirata-kun!But, I guess, Karma-kun is not too bad a partner. "

Karma sweat.' Since when did we get close I ask again? '

" Heh, but if the three of us work together and combine our wits we might be able to become just as good as Hirata-dono and form an ideal team for you." Sotamura suggested.

Kei scrunch her face." Huh?Disgusting.Even if there are 100 or 200 copies of you guys, you all still won't be as good as one hair from Hirata-kun.I'll just call Hirata-kun and talk to him for now. "

Kei gave them a glance while sighing in disgust.She then smiled at Karma, who smiled back and smirked.The boys glared at him.

' Even if I don't know how you like me Kei-chan, teasing the boys are fun~. '

" If there are no more questions I will continue with my explanation." Mashima announced.

" Yeah, yeah.I understand that." Kei said." But why are the five of us the only ones getting this explanation?You said there will be more members later on, why not just give the explanation then?If this is some sort of trick or harassment of students then I seriously want you to stop it. "

" You don't need to be concerned about the small number of our group if that's what you're worried about; this is neither a trick nor harassment.It's not just one class divided up into groups but 3 to 5 people from each class being divided up into groups.We run the risk of confusing the students if the exam itself is not explained like this in advance. "

The other three don't seem to have understood Mashima-sensei's explanation and were mulling it over in silence.The ticking sound of the clock once again filled the now-silent room.

Kei then pipe up." W-Wait a minute.What do you mean we might be teaming up with groups from other classes?This is getting harder and harder to understand.Aren't other classes supposed to be the enemy? "

Mashima-sensei assured." Right now you don't need to think about 'understanding' but simply to 'think'.The group you are assigned to is the zodiac sign (Rabbit).Here's the list of all the members assigned to this zodiac.You will be required to return the list when you leave the room so feel free to memorize the list if you wish. "

The postcard sized piece of paper was passed around between the five of them.The name of the group (Rabbit) was written as well as the names of all 14 students assigned to this zodiac.

And just like Mashima-sensei said, aside from the five of them, the remaining students of the zodiac group belonged to classes A, B and C. The list was as followed:

A-Class: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Kouji, Morishige Takuro

B-Class: Ichinose Honami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryouta

C-Class: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, Yamashita Saki

D-Class: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Akabane Karma, Karuizawa Kei, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko.

Kiyotaka and Karma peeked at Kei who was sitting next to them and saw that she was also just as confused.Perhaps she was feeling misfortunate that she ended up in the same group as Ibuki.

" Don't worry, all those questions you're probably having right now, I will answer them now.I believe you will be able to understand once I have explained all that.Most likely. "

The teacher then added." In this exam we will be completely ignoring any differences between classes A to D from the start.If you can do so too it will definitely be an easier path to clearing this exam. "

" Ignore any differences...what do you mean?" Kei ask.

Yukimura sighed in irritation." Please just shut up for a moment, I can't concentrate on the explanation with you blabbering like that. "

" From this point onwards, you guys no longer belong to Class D but rather to the (Rabbit) group.Whether you pass or fail no longer matters on your class but on the entire 'group' as a whole now.There are four outcomes in this exam, no more and no less.Explanations regarding this have also been printed onto paper for your perusal; however, you may not take them out of this room nor photograph them.So memorize them here if you wish to. "

A slightly crumpled paper was paraded before them; it seems other students have already seen this paper before them as they looked through the paper.

There are more detailed rules and explanations provided on the paper as well as prohibited items being listed.But before Ayanokoji and Karma could read any further into the rules, they noticed Karuizawa and Sotomura nodding their heads as if they'd understood the contents of the exam.

" For instance, let's just say Yukimura, you were chosen as the "target" student of this group.That means you must be the "target" student only since only one "target" is allowed for this exam.Now, supposing Yukimura is chosen as the "target" that means the (Rabbit) group's "target" name will be written down as Yukimura.

Once the choosing is complete, simply share this with the other members of your assigned group.And between 9:30 and 10:00 PM at the end of the exam everyone in the group simply needs to mail the answer "Yukimura" to the faculty.

If this is done, the first outcome condition will be satisfied and everyone in the group will receive 500,000 private points as compensation.In addition, the "target" student will receive 1 million private points for successfully guiding the group to this outcome. "

Hearing this Kei reacted drastically." 1-1 million?Woah... "

" D-does that mean everyone gets 500,000 points and if you're chosen as the "target" you get even more... " Sotomura stuttered out for confirmation.

The teacher then continued." Now for the 2nd possible outcome.In the case that the identity of (Rabbit) group's "target" was to be uncovered incorrectly by the end of the exam and the faculty were to be notified of this.Only the "target" will be receiving the points of 500,000 while the rest will go without points. "

" The position of "target" certainly is an enviable one.I'd say it's even unfair to the other members.No matter the outcome we get, they'll still have points and in the first one they even get a million points!" Kei then turn to Mashima." Sensei, what are the 3rd and 4th possible outcomes?You still haven't explained it to us. "

" Did you understand the first two outcomes?If so, I can proceed to explain the remaining outcomes. "

" Yes...I've got it.Please tell us the remaining outcomes. "

" The remaining outcomes are printed on the back of the paper, but be sure to wait before turning the paper over." Mashima-sensei finalized.

Karma and Kiyotaka's hands froze just before they turned the paper to the other side.Mashima-sensei simply stared at them with his sharp eyes as they both gradually started to understand the rules of this exam.

It seems from the moment they read the instructions, the exam had already begun.

Kei furrow her brows." W-wait a minute, I'm not following. "

" Very well, I shall explain slightly more.Have you ever played the Jinrou game before? "

Kei tilt her head." Jinrou game?It was trendy for a little while so I have played it before.It's pretty interesting. "

Kiyotaka was slightly puzzled when Mashima-sensei first mentioned the name to them.

Kei noticed before looking shocked." D-Don't tell me, Ayanokouji-kun.You've never heard of the Jinrou game before? "

Karma sweat with wide eyes." Unbelievable. "

White room is evil.

Kiyotaka looked deadpanned at the reactions.' Even if you think that it can't be helped, in the first place, the very concept of "games" was not something I was familiar with, nor was the concept of "playing with others".I'm not.... '

However, Kei and Karma also seemingly realized this and instead just looked at Ayanokoji with sad, understanding eyes.

" I don't know how to put it, but not having friends is terrible, isn't it?" Kei ask gently.

Karma gave a fake sympathetic look." Poor Ayano-kun, I will enlighten you, Friends gather together and are split up into two categories: villagers and wolves.And the last survivor's group is the one that wins the game.Did you follow? "

Kiyotaka looked kore deadpanned than ever.' No!I'm not following at all.I'm sure I'd be a god or a Buddha if I could understand it from that brief explanation. '

Karma sighed.' It should have been done through experience surely Kiotaka would understand.. '

Mashima-sensei then began to explain in more detail." Of course, you already know there can only be one "target" in the group.Once the identity of the "target" is revealed the third and fourth outcomes become possible for the group. "

Kei look up at the teacher." And that...is what's written on the other side of this paper...is it ok to turn it over now? "

Mashima-sensei simply nods when Kei asks that and together, they turn the paper over to the other side.The remaining two possible outcomes were written there.

" Naturally, the school will take into consideration issues of privacy and even at the end of the exam; we will only release the results for each group and each student.The names of the "target" and the person who uncovers their identity will not be disclosed.

It is possible to issue you a temporary ID if you wish.However, there need not be fear about having one's identity revealed after the exam.Of course, if you do not wish to hide your name, you can proudly display the received points too. "

They go over the rules again silently.The severity of these rules causes them to be embedded deep in their minds as they memorize them.

" You will be meeting at 1pm and 8pm tomorrow for your group discussions.The room you will be meeting in has your group name written on a plate in front of it.Once you have entered that room, you will not be able to leave until the required time for discussion has passed.If an emergency occurs in that time period, contact your homeroom teacher immediately.Make sure you've used the toilet before the meeting time as well. "

Kei glance suspiciously at Mashima." What do you mean we'll have to stay in the room?How long will we be there? "

" As written in the explanation, the time for discussion will be 1 hour each twice a day.Other than your self-introduction to other members of your group, you may use that time however you like.Once one hour has passed, you may choose to remain in the room or leave at your discretion. "

Karma pondered for a while.' Does that mean all the contents of the discussion will be left up to the students to decide? '

Kei sighed as she began to whine." It's an annoying thing but I do understand it at least...waah I'd much prefer a fun test to this. "

" Once the "target" has been decided, the school will not accept any request for changes to this.In addition, any actions such as copying, deletion, transferring or alteration of mails to the faculty are strictly forbidden so keep this in mind. "

Once the teacher finished, Yukimaru lean towards the two boys.

" Oi, Ayanokouji, Akabane.You've been silent throughout the whole thing, are you sure you've understood it properly? "

Kiyotaka nod a bit." Yeah...I got it mostly.If I have any questions I'll make sure to ask you afterwards. "

Karma lazily gave a shrug." Yeah, I got it, I got it. "

Yukimura didn't take it so lightly as he began to grumble." Damn, why is my group filled with such airheads? "

After that comment, Karma's smile and eyebrow started twitching.

Once that is done their group is told to leave and they stand up to leave the room at the same time.

Yukimura then called the others." Reluctantly as it may be, we are already united as one group so it is essential we deepen our unity as a team.The "target" will be announced tomorrow but why don't we stay and have a chat with just the five of us? "

However, Kei completely ignored his words as she took out her mobile and started walking away from them.

" Oi, Karuizawa.You're listening to me? "

Kiyotaka was impressed she was able to ignore him like that, while Karma snickers, but tries to hide it using his hand, but Yukimura hears him, making him glare at the read-head.

Kei place her phone unto her ear." Ah...Hirata-kun?There's something I'd like to ask you. "

She simply walks away from them, but not before saying goodbye to Karma, who also said goodbye to her, and soon disappeared.

' Seriously, when HAVE we ever become close?' Karma's question can never be answered.

Yukimura groans." Damn, my group really is full of airheads. "

Kiyotaka and Karma didn't bother to hide their sighs as they turned away too to return to their rooms.' It seems our enjoyable cruise has ended and the second round of testing has begun. '

Sotomura frown as well." This is a very troublesome thing indeed, to be teamed up with such a bitch. "

" I have to agree with you though to be honest, it seems like she'll be pulling our legs the whole way." Yukimura nod.

" She truly is the bitch among bitches. "

Karma didn't manage to shut them up, him and Kei aren't friends to begin with.

Yukimura then begin." In the case that one of us is announced as the "target" tomorrow morning, let's not tell each other straight away.There's no telling who's listening where.The walls have ears.Let's report to each other in a secure location. "

The duo nod agreeing the plan.

" Although Karuizawa is gone; I'd still like to discuss the plans for tomorrow with just the three of us.Please stay with me a little longer. "

Sotomura sadly sighs." I must decline since I will be unable to respond to your expectations.You see, from now on, I have to go back to my room to watch the new Love Love Alive anime. "

After saying that, Sotomura instantly disappears from them almost like a ninja.Yukimura dejectedly shakes his head and sighs as if he's given up on their group.

Ayanokoji and Karma face each other, nod and then go to their room.

Once they had returned to their room, they then struggled to sleep.They noticed a noise and looked up although they did not see their roommates Yukimura and Kouneji.

" Sorry, did I wake you two up?" It was Hirata who said that as he organized his luggage neatly while looking at them apologetically.

Kiyotaka shake his head politely." No need for apologies, we weren't sleeping anyways.Just thinking. "

Karma lay his head on his arms." We were about to go out for a drink anyway since we're thirsty. "

Of course, they did not mention this to Hirata, but they were on their way to check on Horikita's state.

" Might I accompany you?We received the mail from the school and it's almost time anyways." Yosuke gently ask.

The time was close to 20:30, the same time that Horikita's mail instructed her to gather for the meeting.

Yosuke then began to share to the two boys." It seems a rather unusual exam is about to begin, at least that's how I feel.It's Yukimura-kun.He told me in the cafeteria earlier.About your (Rabbit) group and how everyone was receiving explanations one after the other.If there's anything you've figured out, Ayanokouji-kun, Karma-kun, please do share it with me. "

" I wonder about that, unlike Horikita, you or Yukimura I'm not particularly smart so I haven't been thinking much about this exam at all...in particular." Kiyotaka states.

Karma doubts it a hundred percent.' Your clearly smarter than both of them anyways. '

" What about you, Karma-kun?" Yosuke ask Karma.

Karma answered the same as Kiyotaka." I'm still thinking about it. "

" I was wondering why they would go to all the trouble of separating us into groups to explain the same thing to us separately.I'm planning to ask sensei about it later on though. "

The place where Hirata's meeting would be taking place was not as crowded as when their meeting had occurred.Still there were a few students.

" I...doubt these are all going to be part of my group." Yosuke muttered.

" Who's the one we just passed?" Kiyotaka ask.

" That's Morimiya-kun from Class A. And the one near the elevator is Tokito-kun of Class C. "

Kiyotaka makes sure to remember the names and faces of the students from the other classes, while Karma just passes them, because they're not interesting to him.Soon they approached the crowd.

Katsuragi then appeared to the view." If I'm not wrong, you're also from the 20:40 group are you not? "

Suzune who Katsuragi asked stare at him." If I am, does this have something to do with you? "

" No.But I just wanted to talk to you all since starting from tomorrow we'll be cooperating together as part of the same group. "

Suzune scoff." You want to talk now?That's funny.The other day you brushed us aside when we came to talk. "

There were three other students from Class A with Katsuragi, and listening from a distance without approaching were two girls who seemed to either be from Class B or Class C.

Katsuragi cross his arms as he reasoned." Honestly I've never paid any attention to Class D before.But after the results of the previous exam, it's hard to stay inconspicuous, isn't it?If one day you rise from Class D to Class C, remember that Class A will show no mercy before crushing you into pieces. "

It's no matter of time before Suzune glared." That's a very petty thing to say, after all, between A and the other classes, the point gap is far too wide to bridge. "

" Naturally, but caution is required every time a class can potentially rise to a higher position.I would say the same thing to Class B or Class C". "

Almost as if in sync, the students around Katsuragi all gathered together to glare at Horikita in an intimidating manner.Horikita barely showed any reaction at all to this intimidation.But some of them stopped glaring, when Karma also glared at them.

It makes Katsuragi slightly turn his head, and then lightly glare at Karma, and Karma glared back, but other students didn't realize this.Suddenly, the face of the girls around them turned into expressions of adoration as a man silently passed by them.

It was a student from Class B named Kanzaki Ryuji.Having met during the island test, Ryuji seems to be aware of Horikita's intellect and moves towards Katsuragi as if to protect Horikita from him.

" You don't need to talk with Katsuragi, after all, the situation is what it is." Ryuji reassured.

Suzune close her eyes." Don't worry; I'm used to people looking down on Class D. "

" I see, someone from a class like D must be used to getting this treatment, I must admit I shared the same view towards your class as well.But the incident that happened on the island made me revise my view towards your class.But just because you got lucky and won once, I'd like you to not get arrogant and think we're equals now." Katsuragi said.

" ...What is that supposed to mean? "

" What I'm trying to say is that there is a time in everyone's lives when they get lucky once and manage to close the gap a bit.But don't get in over your head just because of this one lucky incident.The difference between our class points is still a tremendous one. "

Ryuji step in." We've just started our high school life, the difference may be large, but do not forget that it is the school that arbitrarily decided who went to which class and we were distributed to those classes accordingly.

Karma began to snicker." Hirata, it looks like you're a part of a rather troublesome group. '

That caused Yosuke to sigh." It was inevitable the moment we were grouped with Katsuragi-kun and Kanzaki-kun, I think. "

" No.. that's not it." Kiyotaka spoke up making Yosuke curiously turn to him.

Suddenly another student join in." Kukuku.It looks like there are quite a lot of weaklings gathered here; let me have some fun here. "

Katsuragi glared at the male." Ryuuen, huh? "

Katsuragi lost his previously calm expression and even Ryuji's expression changed to an alert one.

" Have you also been allocated to this room?Or did you just happen to be walking by?" Ryuji ask Ryuen.

" Unfortunately I'm with you. "

Ryuuen instantly replies to that question while three other students obediently walk behind him.He almost resembled Katsuragi in that regard but the context was different.The students behind Ryuuen had terrified expressions on their faces and moved quietly with obedient movements.

Soon, someone explodes into laughter, which brings all attention to that person.When they see him, leaders of Classes A, D and C slightly glare at him, while Ryuji looks indifferent.

It was Karma." Man, your group is even worse than ours! "

After his laughter, he wipes his tears away and then waves his hand for a greeting." Hi, Suzu-chan, Baldy-kun, Dictator-kun and Kanzaki-kun. "

Ryuji waves his hand in confirmation for his greeting since he's called by his name, while the other three glares at him more.

" Akabane Karma... " Katsuragi seeth his teeth.

Suzune cross her arms dejectedly." How many times have I told you not to call me by that nickname, Karma-kun? "

Ryuen raise a brow." Oh?You call me a dictator, yet you act the same way as I am. "

By all the glares given to him, Karma acts scared." K-kowai!You all are so scary with your glares!But the one who glares at me the most is you, Baldy-kun.I wonder why. "

Karma then walk towards the big man infront of him.

" What is it?Are you angry because you couldn't accept defeat, or are you angry because I shoved chili paste up your nostrils. "

After Karma finished his statement, many students went wide-eyed or winced.Ryuen, on another hand, was laughing madly.Katsuragi now was fuming with rage, and his eyebrows were twitching repeatedly.

" Y-You..! "

Karma held up his hands before Katsuragi can attack." Relax, relax.If you want, you can challenge me anytime you want, but today I didn't come for a fight, just to observe. "

Ryuen can't seem to bring down his smirk as it rivals Karma." You put on quite a show for me.Beauty and Two Beasts could be the title. "

Now having realized the obvious provocation, Katsuragi returns to his normal, calm self, while Karma slightly glares at the dictator.

' Too bad for Yosuke's group but it would be an advantageous group, class leaders set aside, if they work together then it would be quite a punch.' Karma can feel his smile widen in exceitement.

" I originally thought our group would have students with high academic ability but after seeing you and your lackeys I can see this clearly isn't going to be the case." Katsuragi then started attacking with his words.

Ryuen scoff." Academic ability?What a bunch of nonsense, having academic ability won't mean anything. "

" Hearing that from you is a shame, academic ability is the most important factor determining your future success in life and your ability to impact the future.It is even said that Japan is built on a society of academics.I won't forget this insult. "

" Huh?Insult?I don't recall having done anything like that, care to refresh my memory? "

" It doesn't matter, since we're in the same group we should have the opportunity to talk at length later. "

Karma sighed." Finally. "

Suddenly, a person Karma didn't want to see approaches.

" Hmm?Hirata-kun?And even Ayanokouji-kun?What are you guys doing here? "

Kikyo approaches the group with the strange expression, but as soon as she notices Karma, she winces and starts sweating a little, which Kiyotaka notices, but doesn't speak about it.

" O-oh, you're also here, Akabane-kun. "

Karma smiles as he let out a wave." Good evening, Kikyo-chan. "

Soon, Kikyo regains her composure, but she keeps glancing at Karma, which he notices and smiles a close-eyed smile at her, which makes her stop glancing.

Yosuke glance at Kikyo." Could it be that Kushida-san is also in the 20:40 group? "

The girl let out a giggle." Yeah.I don't understand what's going on but I was told to come here at this hour in the mail...and wow...it seems like an amazing group of people have gathered here. "

Kikyo then walks around greeting the gathered students here individually.

" Are you okay, Hirata?" Kiyotaka ask Yosuke in a 'concerned' tone.

" It looks like your group is shaping up to be a hard one." Karma add, and he's talking about Kikyo.

" It's ok, I don't mind, no matter who's in my group I'll just have to do my best.' yosuke said as he gives a determined expression.

" Good.Because you better prepare yourself." Karma look forward.

Kikyo smiled nervously." Ahaha...like Hirata-kun said, I'll just also have to do my best here.Also, I never got the chance to talk much with Katsuragi-kun or Ryuuen-kun; I'd like to be friends with the two of them too. "

Suzune cross her arms." I'm not going to stay here for this stupid conversation, I'll be going ahead.It's almost time. "

Suzune simply shook her head and turned her back to us but not before looking coldly at Ryuuen and his group.

Kiyotaka nod." It looks like we shouldn't have even bothered worrying. "

Karma smiled." Good luck then. "

They threw a sympathetic good luck wish in Yosuke's direction and decided to leave the scene.