Chapter 5.9 - Raven

「The discussion period has ended.」

Just like that, the final seconds of the zodiac exam ticked away. The weight of those monotone words settled heavily on the group, leaving an oppressive silence in their wake. The previous cheerful and lighthearted air was replaced with uncertainty, anxiety and nuanced relaxation of listlessness.

It felt like a game of Russian roulette. One where we'd either gain a massive number of points, or ironically pull the trigger on ourselves. The stakes had never been higher. Soon, it would be revealed whether we'd emerge as victorious, or if I had just made everyone commit a mass suicide.

"Best of luck, I guess?" Oda murmured. His eyes darted nervously, as if he were searching for reassurance that wouldn't come.

"Yeah. We'll really need that. We're still at the mercy of whoever is watching us." Asaka nervously said. "Do you think they'll actually follow through?"

"It's hard to say," Yonezu replied, looking down at his shoes. "We have less than thirty minutes before the final submission,"

"I wonder if the VIP is even listening right now," Kinoshita said, glancing around. "They might have an idea of what to do. But if they're like us, they're also feeling the pressure."

"Guys, you should be aware that it's illegal to hold a discussion anymore," Mori cautiously said while gesturing towards the wall clock.

She was right. It was forbidden to hold discussions with group members from other classes outside the discussion period. No one was curious to know what'd happen if we defied that rule.

"Let's all just hope that we did our best, and wish each other luck."

Everyone silently nodded to Mori's observation.

"Yeah. At least let's be proud that we chose the best option out of all," muttered Yonezu.

"I guess there's nothing else left to do now but to wait for it.." Asaka said.

"Okay, everyone! Before we go..." Amikura suddenly raised her arm in front of her at chest length and said, "Let's put our hands together, shall we?"

I.. no, in fact, I'm sure everyone understood what Amikura was trying to do. It was probably her final attempt to create a sense of camaraderie amongst everyone, and thus, encouraging the VIP to reveal themselves.

At first, it seemed like a childish and cringy thing to do. So, nobody wanted to do it, which slightly made Amikura's smile and determination waver.

"Of course. Why not?"

That's why I stepped forward and placed my hand on top of her. Amikura's eyes widened, but immediately returned to normal and her smile grew after that. It also had it's intended effects.

"It's silly, but.." Asaka reluctantly placed her palm on top of mine.

"Eh, what gives?" Kinoshita shrugged before placing her hand.

"Hey, let me join too." Satou clawed her way on top of the pile.

The room erupted at our collective effort to encourage them. Most of the students came together, and overlapped their palms on top of each other.

Then another palm went over ours, a large one with a dark skin tone.

"Y-you too, Albert?" Oda muttered in broken English, which in response Albert replied in fluent English

[Seems fun. Why not?]

I dumbfoundedly looked beside me. It was Albert. The Albert Yamada himself joined our palm pile.

"...."

Yeah, I'm not going to comment on that. Make whatever you will from that..

"You know, if somebody told me that I'd be doing stuff like this with other two classes, I would've laughed at them."

"Yeah, I never imagined I'd be doing this either haha."

"Why not? It's all in good fun."

"Hey Kamuro-san, Shimizu-kun. Why don't you guys join us..?" Amikura called.

"No thanks. You all can keep this clown show to yourself." Shimzu spat sharply before pushing himself off the sofa and leaving through the door. It wasn't surprising that Kamuro followed after him.

No one particularly minded the two's actions, as it was obvious that they were being stuck-up brats from the very beginning. But, what did catch my attention was the last person from class B, Himeno, who for some reason gave me a peculiar glare before walking off. Oh, I wonder what that gaze could have possibly meant...

As the pile peaked from the remaining student's hands, I closed my eyes, taking a moment to center myself amid the surreal moment.

"It's open-ended," I announced while collectively looking at everyone. "If you're the VIP, know that we're all here to support you."

"That's right. We've got your back." Amikura chanted beside me. "So please, believe in us."

"Please don't let us down.. I really don't want to get back to eating vegetable sets when we go back." Oda pleaded, which made everyone chuckle.

This was it-the culmination of our efforts. A bond between a group of background characters with little screentime forged through this short discussion full of debate and vulnerability. We had come so far, and now we were standing together, forgetting the differences of our classes.

I did what was needed. And I was already satisfied with how the results had turned out to be.

"Good luck, everyone."

I said before we broke the circle and dispersed from the exam room.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

After The Discussion, 9:05 PM:

The usually isolated hallway on the second level now felt alive, filled with the noise of students chatter after the intense discussion. Walking through the crowd, everyone felt relief from the pressure, yet somehow that unease clung to them like a lump in the throat.

My thoughts wandered back to Himeno's strange glance before she'd left the room. It may be presumptuous for me to say this, but back there, her usual stoic demeanor had cracked for a moment. Nervous fingers tapping the table, her eyes fixing on me at the end... she was being way too obvious about it. It honestly felt a bit out of character, even though I only knew her for a couple of minutes at most.

"Did you finish it?"

A whispery voice beside me snapped me back into reality. I turned to see Yamamura casually standing beside me. Her expression was neutral, as always.

"Finish what?" I asked, playing dumb for a moment before realizing she was referring to the book. "Ah, I didn't have the time."

In truth, I'd finished the book this afternoon. Curiosity had gotten the better of me. But there was no need to reveal that. Not to her, at least.

"You sure?" Yamamura watched me closely, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as if to gauge whether I was lying. "I thought you'd be eager to see how it ends. We're almost near the end."

"Yeah," I said nonchalantly, "But I've had other things on my mind."

"Like the test?"

I didn't answer immediately.

I glanced over at her, trying to decipher what she wanted. The thing with Yamamura was that she never pushed too hard, but her presence was enough to make you wonder if she knew more than she let on. That's why I decided to finally let her know that I also knew that she knew of what she thought she knew about me.

"The part where Blomkvist was captured by Martin," I spoke. "Doesn't it remind you of how easy it is to trust the wrong people."

"..." Yamamura went silent this time. She wasn't one for emotions, or at least, she never let them show during the entire test so far. But even though her demeanor was calm, her eyes were wavering, as if she was searching for an answer.

But I didn't wait for her answer.

"But Martin, in the end, had too much confidence on himself, and precisely lost because of it. One minute he thought he was in control, and the next... well, it was out of his hands."

"Trust can be a tricky thing." she said, trying her best to stay vague.

"Totally. Even in real life situations, don't you agree?"

"You... You're right." she nodded, stuttering a bit.

I didn't ask anything, anymore. There was no need, because the message was already received.

I kept walking down the hall with her beside me in silence. I could feel her thoughts moving beneath the surface. Perhaps it was confusion, or maybe a bit of intimidation? Who knows? As much as I wanted to learn her reasons, I knew the futility of those questions.

"So," I finally said, breaking the brief silence. "Do you want to finish the book together? Maybe in the library later?"

Yamamura's eyes widened in confusion, but that quickly turned into a one filled with stars.

"Yes, of course," she replied, her lips twitching ever so slightly. She actually showed emotions after a long time.

"I see... Well, I might join you later tomorrow, though. I've got a few things to take care of first."

"I understand. Please call me whenever you're ready."

She gave me a slight nod and a cute wave before walking off, disappearing into the crowd.

She was a clever, and inconspicuous person, I'd give her that. But even if she was playing some angle, I wouldn't deny that I had fun reading a book together with her. And though it is uncertain, I could speculate that even she had fun as well. It'd be a shame to let this perfect reading partner part like this. Besides... what could she possibly report to Sakayanagi when it's literally for everyone to see?

As I moved further down the hallway while harboring such thoughts, through the corner of my eyes, I spotted someone else by the vending machines.

Shiina.

Her usual aloof figure was hunched slightly as she flipped through a book. Perhaps she was waiting for someone. Albert and the others?

No, they'd already left this level by now. It could be someone else she was meeting. Her boyfriend, perhaps?

At any rate, it was none of my business. I pretended not to notice her, and tried to walk away without drawing attention from her.

"Are you into thrillers?"

"Hm?"

I slowed my pace, caught by her sudden question.

"Yeah, I guess so," I slowly looked at her. "I like a good story that keeps me guessing."

"Guessing, huh?" Shiina murmured. "That's what makes it interesting, doesn't it? The tension... not knowing who to trust."

"Sure," I shrugged. "It's part of the thrill. You never know how things will end."

She tilted her head slightly, as if pondering something.

"I've noticed something about those kinds of stories," she said. "The ones who pretend they're not interested... they're usually the ones paying the most attention."

"..."

Her words made me raise an eyebrow. For a moment, the noise of the hallway seemed to fade. It was strange... the whole conversation. Shiina wasn't one to engage in idle talk, so why now? And why that particular line of questioning? I couldn't tell if she was making a point or just trying to test me.

"Maybe," I replied. "Or maybe some people just don't like giving away what they're thinking."

"Hm.." Shiina studied me closely with an unreadable expression. But then...

"Interesting perspective." a faint smile tugged at her lips. Barely there, but enough to notice.

She closed her book. It was not the 'Dragon Tattoo' that she was reading earlier during the test, but 'The Hornet's Nest', another work of the millennium trilogy. Given that she had started before us, it was a given that she'd also finish before us.

"Have you read the works of Stephen King?" she suddenly asked. My eyes went from the cover of that book and was fixated on her purple ones.

"I have. But I'm more of a Dan Brown club." I gave her some information, trying to keep the conversation casual.

"Oh, then you surely must've read 'Inferno'?"

"Actually, I've read all four of his Robert Langdon Series."

"I see."

"In turn, have you read the works of Agatha Christie?"

"Hm? Ah, I have read her 'Murder on the Orient Express'. The way she wrote her thriller was something else."

"In that case, you're missing out on her best work. 'And Then, There Were None'. you should read that, if it's up to your taste."

Shiina's purple eyes flickered with interest at my suggestion, as though I had said something unexpected. She glanced down at the book in her hands before meeting my gaze again.

"Do you think it'll keep me guessing until the end?" she softly asked.

"Absolutely," I replied, matching her seriousness. "It's the kind of book where you think you've figured it out, only to realize you haven't."

Shiina seemed to consider this for a moment, then gave a small nod.

"I'll give it a try. Maybe we can talk about it sometime, if you're up for it."

I couldn't tell if she was genuinely interested or just probing for something deeper. Shiina always had that unreadable quality about her. And with everything going on, I wasn't eager to get involved in another layer of mystery. However, as much as I wanted to avoid getting drawn into whatever her intentions were, things slowly started heading toward the inevitable.

"We'll see," I kept my tone noncommittal.

Her eyes lingered on me for a second longer before she turned her attention back to the vending machine. With a polite nod, I moved past her and continued down the hallway.

The crowd had thinned out. The earlier buzz of students was dying down as twilight approached. There was a sense of relief in the air, but beneath it, an unease remained. After all, no one really knew what was coming next.

Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!

Just as I reached the stairwell, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Three notifications popped up on the screen in quick succession one after the other. I glanced at the screen briefly before shoving the phone back into my pocket.

"Ha~" I exhaled. "Looks like tonight is going to be a long one," I muttered to myself before walking up the stairs.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

As I made my way across the fifth deck, I spotted a figure standing far away from the crowd, leaning against the railing with indifference. The dim lighting of the ship was reflected on her raven hair, much similar to another short-tempered young lady.

When I approached her, she widened her eyes briefly in surprise before immediately settling back into a piercing glare. "What do you want?" she asked with a tone flat and devoid of emotion.

"Horikita-san sent me to talk to you," I replied, keeping my demeanor composed.

"Really? You expect me to believe that?" Her skepticism was immediate.

"Do you really think Horikita-san would just send anyone?" I leaned casually against the railing while maintaining eye contact.

"Touché," she admitted, but her eyes narrowed. "Still, you? This doesn't add up."

"Surely, you can guess the answer, Himeno-san."

A flicker of annoyance crossed her face at my response. But despite that-

"You.. Are you saying you're the VIP?" she spoke in a hushed voice, whisper-like.

I didn't confirm it outright. Instead of answering directly, I tugged my hands in my pockets and allowed my eyes to drift to the ocean behind her. "Ever thought about how strange it is that we're here, alone, like this?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "That's not an answer."

"Call it a hint, then," I replied, meeting her gaze without flinching.

She crossed her arms gracefully while keeping her eyes locked on me. "Why me? Out of all the people you could've picked to tell...?"

"Horikita-san's call," I answered flatly. "She asked Ichinose to have you meet us here. And for the same reason that Ichinose chose you, she asked me to come in her place. All of it's for one goal: for our group to reach Outcome #1."

"Outcome #1," she repeated, as though pondering about it. Her expression was unreadable, but her tone suggested that she was still skeptical. "And that grand speech you made near the end, the strategy you laid out in front of everyone... you expect me to believe Horikita-san just handed that to you?"

"Horikita's got a sharp mind. All I did was follow the plan." I shrugged.

"Enough!" Himeno's teeth clenched as her patience began to fray. "Stop dancing around. If you don't give me a straight answer, I'll tear this whole thing down from the inside."

I raised an eyebrow and watched her impassively. "No, you won't."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because it'd chip away Ichinose-san's relationship with ours and hurt your class in the long run." I calmly said, meeting her glare.

"Heh.." After hearing my response, Himeno scoffed. "And what makes you think I care about Ichinose-san? This whole class game doesn't concern me."

I didn't respond immediately, but instead let the silence stretch. To think such a unique character existed inside the novel, class B at that? I find it hard to believe that she was never once mentioned in the novel even once. I feel like if I hadn't transmigrated here, I never would've known about someone like her.

After judging that enough seconds had passed, I finally broke the silence by saying this:

"Are you sure?"

Her expression turned into a confused one. But before she could say anything, both of our phones lit up with a ping simultaneously with a new notification. She glanced at her screen first to read the school's message.

"VIP Submission period is open till 21:30," she muttered, as her eyes drifted toward me. "My, what a coincidence." she said with a dry sarcastic voice.

It was an intentional setup. I came back late knowing that she could potentially threaten me with this. This meant that the final chance of becoming the VIP was over by then. Even if she wanted to, she could no longer turn traitor on us.

"Take it as you will,"

She closed her eyes, and sighed. "You put on this indifferent act, but underneath it all... you're sharper than you let on."

"Flattering, but you're overestimating me," I replied.

She scoffed, then returned her gaze back to her phone. Her fingers began tapping against the screen rapidly, as if composing a message.

"Before I do this.." when it seemed like she was done, she looked back at me. "Just answer my question.. Why me?"

There were many reasons why I chose her, out of all the other options.

"Sure, Amikura's reliable, Yonezu is smart, and Asaka... well, she's an option." I said. "But regardless, you were the right choice."

She held my gaze, waiting to continue. So, I did..

"I'll be frank, you're anti-social. You keep quiet, you draw zero attention. Through this entire exam, you didn't even talk to anyone at all, let alone discussing strategy. But the main reason is, you didn't ask for this. So, you're the least likely to compromise it."

Her lips quirked up in a cold smile, one that didn't reach her eyes.

"Thanks for the 'compliment.'" she said sarcastically.

Then, without waiting for a reply, she pressed on something on her phone, which in turn, made her screen blink with a pop up message. She glanced at me one last time, her eyes unreadable.

"See you around, Aozaki Levent," she murmured before turning and disappearing into the shadows of the ship's deck.

Bzzt!

As she left, another ping sounded on my phone. I didn't need to check it to know what it was.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

Our ship drifted across the dark, silent sea. The faint light of the stars just barely illuminated the water below. As the clock ticked closer to 11:00, more students began gathering on the fifth deck. As for me, I'd chosen a spot away from the crowd, dangerously leaning against the railing with a view of the empty horizon.

"You're going to fall, you know?" a familiar voice crept up behind me. I glanced back to see Kikyou standing there, looking half-amused, half-worried.

"Hm?" I hummed, barely straightening up. "If that happened, wouldn't that be a good thing for you?"

"Now that you mention it... Should I just push you overboard then?" she raised an eyebrow, as if seriously considering it.

"And potentially get sent to jail? Good luck with that."

"I can always say it was an accident, can't I?" She tilted her head, feigning ignorance.

"Convincing story. But I'd rather avoid that detour tonight, if it's all the same to you."

"Maybe," she said, "But don't tempt fate too much."

She stepped forward, standing beside me as she crossed her arms, which in turn emphasized her assets. I turned back to the ocean. We shared a moment of quiet, watching the waves tap gently against the ship.

"So," Finally, her gaze sharpened, and I knew we were drifting toward the reason she'd come looking for me in the first place. "About the arrangement you asked me to make with Ryuen."

"I take it he agreed?" I glanced over at her.

She nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, he confirmed everything just as you told me to request. Every last detail."

"Of course he did," I replied, not at all surprised. "He had no choice but to comply."

"No choice?" "Interesting way of putting it. You sure about that?"

"The memorandum he signed wasn't a mere formality. The consequences were awfully specific. He wasn't risking his own expulsion-"

"-but his subordinate, Albert's." Kikyou's eyes shifted as a response to my calm response.

"Hm." I turned back toward the ocean.

"You leveraged his loyalty by putting Albert's future on the line?"

"It wasn't exactly a gamble," I corrected. "Ryuen's confident, sure. But he's not careless. With Albert's expulsion at stake, he couldn't afford to risk breaking his word. He knew he had no room to maneuver."

She blinked, a faint smirk tugging at the edges of her lips. "I see... Ryuen does pride himself on loyalty. And with Albert's place in danger, he'd have no wiggle room."

"Exactly."

Threatening Ryuen himself wouldn't have worked. He'd see it as a challenge, like the risk factor of a game. But putting someone he relies on in jeopardy? That's different.

"It's a strange strategy. Most people would've just gone after Ryuen directly." Kikyou mused.

"Most people," I replied. "But Ryuen would have met a direct threat with defiance. When it comes to his people, though, he's a little more... cooperative."

Her smirk grew as she glanced out at the water. "Using his sense of tyranny. Clever."

"You could say that. But loyalty only stretches so far." I shrugged, maintaining a casual posture.

"You really don't miss a single detail, do you?" she chuckled.

"You'd be surprised," I said. "Even the best of us have blind spots."

Then both of us went quiet. I could feel her gaze on me. She knew enough of me by now to recognize that every step had a purpose, even if the reasons weren't always clear. We stood like that, in silence, with nothing but the quiet lapping of the waves against the ship filling the gaps between words.

Bling!

It was then that a soft ping from my phone broke the silence. One Lime notification, from a specific person.

Kikyou glanced over my shoulder, her brow furrowing slightly as she saw the name of the person. "Horikita, huh?"

"Seems that way," I replied, sliding my phone back into my pocket.

"She seems to keep you busy. What does she want this late?"

"Just something I need to take care of," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Nothing major."

"Nothing major?" she repeated with a smirk on her lips. "Seems to me, Horikita's calling you to spoon-feed her all the details."

"Yeah, well, that's just how she is. She likes to make sure everything's in order,"

Kikyou crossed her arms and leaned closer. "She looks to you for advice, you know? There's got to be a reason for that."

"We work well together. I guess she trusts my judgment."

"Trust is a big deal, you know. It means she sees something in you,"

"Possibly," I replied.

Kikyou laughed softly, shaking her head. "You really don't let emotions get in the way, do you?"

"Not really my thing, yes," I admitted.

There really was nothing to hide here. Though my appearance was of a hormonal teenager, my mind was not. Unlike my young teenager classmates, all my youthful emotions and romanticism had died long ago, even before setting foot in this world.

My main focus was something else entirely. If a goal was set, I must run toward it without hesitation. That's all there is to it.

"Fair enough," she resigned.

There was no point in clarifying things. Kikyou knew well enough. Despite the slight tension, her calm acceptance was clear. She understood that my interactions with her and Horikita were just another part of the calculated routine.

"Well, don't let me keep you, then," she finally said with a mock sigh, pushing herself off the railing. "Wouldn't want Horikita to think you're wasting time."

"No one's being kept, Kikyou," I met her gaze, "This is not a waste of time. I'll be around whenever you need me."

Kikyou's lips parted, as if she was about to say something.. But she hesitated. She cast her glance down at her hands for a moment, contemplating about something.

"You know," she looked at me, her tone softer than usual. "It's kind of unfair when you say things like that..."

"..." I didn't respond.

I raised an eyebrow slightly, to which she just shook her head and looked down at the floor with a small, almost reluctant smile.

"Forget it," she muttered with a half-laugh while looking away. "I probably sound ridiculous.".

Before I could respond, she stepped back, shooting me one last longing look before turning and walking away toward the deck. I silently watched as her figure dissolved into the crowd.

"Hah~"

For all my understanding, Kikyou wasn't one to act like that. For whatever reason, she showed a bit of her vulnerable side to me, all of which of course, I didn't buy. Whether it was unintentional or not, doesn't matter. But I knew one thing for sure.. She'd never let herself show any more than that.

After throwing one last glance, I turned my back on the ocean and headed toward the assigned location.

🄾🅄🅃🅂🄸🄳🄴🅁

[E: Aight, not too long this time. Yusam, thank you for your advice..

Yamamura... definitely deserved better, I am aware.. but to make it make sense, I made her a spy of Sakayanagi, who's apparently keeping an eye on a potential enemy of class A. And I probably did a lot of things wrong with Himeno, but.. let's be honest, her illustration makes me feel like she'd talk to me like that, no?

Okay, here's the bombshell.. The next chapter with be the very last chapter of Outsider: Classroom of The Elite..

.....'s volume 4 adaptation (Gotcha there?) Yeah, I feel like I still enjoy the different challenges that come with adapting a series that I genuinely can't stand anymore, So I'll continue for now. (Am I a masochist? I hope not!)

Now.. I would like to tell you guys about a new story idea.. I suppose it's not completely original, but I guess it's still better than having nothing to work on. Basically, the story revolves around two twin brothers, one of whom is actually dead within the first chapter. The story would have tons of action, suspense, thriller and mystery.. at least I hope it ends up like that.. It's still in draft, but I'll let you know if I ever release it as an experiment.. Oh, but don't worry, I'm not dropping this.. (Maybe later, who knows? khekhek!)

Aside from that, remember the character AI youtube channel thing I told you guys that I was working on? Well.. I guess I came up with something? Anyways for anyone interested in how I sound like in real life, here's the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-o_vxC0SCY&t=53s

Believe me... despite my childish voice, I am genuinely a 20 year old man with a national ID card.

Anyways that's it for now.. I will say my goodbyes next chapter.. Till then, Chio ;]