Unexpectedly, The Joke's On Me

Hikigaya's words to Ryuen were genuine, offered with sincerity. He was trying to help, knowing full well that the enemies Ryuen would face in the future wouldn't be as lenient as he had been. However, he also knew that mere words wouldn't be enough to convince someone like Ryuen.

"Tch, that's just your opinion." Ryuen's face twisted into a mocking smirk. "Don't forget, those two book-smart fools, Katsuragi and Suzune, fell right into my trap."

"And you?" Hikigaya replied, his tone casual. "Didn't you trip over your own feet in the uninhabited island exam?"

He'd intended to use himself as an example, but with Kushida standing nearby, he opted for a less effective argument. As expected, the moment he mentioned the island exam, Ryuen's face contorted into a vicious smile.

"Hmph, I'll admit that guy did well," Ryuen conceded, his tone dripping with venom. "I never thought there was anyone in your class who thought like me. But looking at the results, the so-called mastermind 'X' is nothing more than a second-rate player."

"...Is that so."

Ryuen seemed convinced that he'd gone toe-to-toe with Ayanokoji purely by his abilities. And, in truth, the outcome did make it seem that way.

But seriously, what's with 'X'?

Even if Ayanokoji was the one pulling the strings, giving him a nickname like that was a bit much. Hikigaya had long suspected that Ryuen was a textbook case of chūnibyō, someone stuck in his dramatic fantasies.

"Eh? What do you mean by 'mastermind'?" Kushida's voice broke in, sounding genuinely intrigued. Ryuen merely smiled at her in response.

"Heh, Kikyo, if you're that curious, why not ask Hikigaya? You're in the same class, after all, and yet he's hiding quite a bit from you."

"Ugh…" Hikigaya watched Ryuen silently, contemplating whether he should knock some sense into him.

"Um, Ryuen-san."

Suddenly, three male students approached, nervously calling out to Ryuen. They were from Class C, and with their timid expressions, it was clear they were afraid of him.

"What is it?" Ryuen asked, frowning.

"We just… wanted to remind you that it's almost time."

They looked petrified, even more so than Ishizaki usually did.

Ryuen pulled out his phone, checked the time, and immediately snapped at them. "Are you blind? It's not even 8:30 yet!"

"S-sorry!"

"…So, you're in the 8:40 group?" Hikigaya asked, cutting into the conversation. "Seems like they're your teammates. Maybe you could try being a little more… friendly?"

"Hah, don't be ridiculous. They're nothing but pawns."

It was precisely because of this tyrannical attitude that students who wanted to contribute to the class often lost their motivation. But Ryuen, still stuck in his ways, was blind to the damage he was causing.

After the four of them left, Kushida turned to Hikigaya with a questioning look.

"Hikigaya-kun, what did Ryuen-kun mean by that mastermind 'X'? Is there someone secretly helping Horikita-san?"

The moment Horikita's name came up, Kushida's sharp mind immediately kicked into gear.

"Don't ask me. I'm in the dark about this too."

"Hmm… it does sound suspicious, though." Kushida stretched out the final word, clearly trying to gauge Hikigaya's reaction.

Hikigaya sighed in response.

"Honestly, there's no need to suspect me of anything. You saw Ryuen's behavior earlier. If I were the mysterious 'X,' that guy would've been all over me, mocking me to no end."

"…True."

After a brief pause, Kushida nodded in agreement and then chuckled softly.

"You know, Hikigaya-kun, you're quite impressive. I'd heard rumors that you had some kind of connection with Ryuen-kun, but seeing it firsthand is completely different from what I imagined."

Hikigaya blinked, caught off guard. What on earth had she imagined?

"I mean," Kushida continued, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "I expected the atmosphere between you two to be more… tense. After all, Ryuen is no ordinary guy. But here you are, chatting with him so casually. It surprised me."

It was true. Most of their classmates either avoided Ryuen like the plague or confronted him with hostility.

For Hikigaya to talk with him so nonchalantly was practically unheard of.

"…It's not a big deal."

Hikigaya, for his part, saw nothing particularly noteworthy about the interaction.

"Well, it's almost time." Kushida stood up from her seat. "I need to head to the meeting. But who would've thought I'd end up in the same group as Ryuen-kun… Hikigaya-kun, you're probably curious too, right?"

Hikigaya was indeed tempted to check out what was happening, but the certainty in her voice made him feel oddly defiant.

"Heh, I bet you're wondering how I figured that out," Kushida said with a playful smile, clearly amused by his expression.

What was even more irritating was that she had read his mind.

"During lunch, you kept asking me about my group. It was obvious you had something on your mind."

Hikigaya mentally cursed himself. It seemed his earlier questioning had been too transparent. Then again, it wasn't like he'd been trying to hide anything.

Resigned, he nodded. "Yeah, there are a few things I'm curious about."

"Then it's settled. You'll escort me."

Accompanying Kushida would make the situation less conspicuous, given that he wasn't part of that group. But from another perspective, walking with Kushida was like putting a giant spotlight on himself.

Everything in life comes with a trade-off, after all.

The two took the elevator to the second floor, which was significantly busier than before.

"There are so many people…"

When Hikigaya had first arrived, the students had only been there for the briefing. But now, it was clear that these people had other motives.

Just by glancing at the crowd, Hikigaya could tell that they far exceeded the allowed number.

"Wow, it feels like everyone's staring at us."

The moment they stepped out of the elevator, Kushida felt the weight of countless gazes upon them. Or rather, upon Hikigaya.

"Sigh… It seems like you've become quite the celebrity, Hikigaya-kun."

"…Give me a break."

Kushida's teasing comment, laced with a hint of envy, left Hikigaya unsure of how to respond. Fame, after all, was a double-edged sword. If Kushida knew the truth, she certainly wouldn't be jealous.

The two of them walked down the corridor and entered the designated room. It was packed with students, all focused on a central group. Among them were familiar faces—Horikita, Hirata, and Ryuen, who had arrived ahead of them. Katsuragi and Kanzaki were also present.

The tension in the room was palpable, likely due to Ryuen stirring up trouble again. Ayanokoji had also arrived, probably with Hirata, likely here for reconnaissance.

Except for Ichinose, the leadership of all four classes had gathered. That alone spoke volumes.

Hikigaya's suspicions were confirmed… Alright, time to leave.

"Kushida, I'm heading out."

"Huh?!"

With his thoughts validated, there was no reason to stick around. Hikigaya was about to turn and leave when Ryuen spotted him.

"Well, well, look who's here. You here for the show, Hikigaya?"

"…Tch."

Ryuen's words immediately drew the attention of the entire room, and all eyes fell on Hikigaya.

"Hikigaya, you came too," Katsuragi said, stepping forward and staring at him with his usual heavy tone, devoid of any emotion.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're in the 8:40 group, right?"

"…Sigh."

Hikigaya couldn't help but sigh. Katsuragi's demeanor might have been business as usual, but his words confirmed something crucial—Class B was in serious trouble for this exam.

"Hahaha! Katsuragi, you asked that? Looks like you're going to lose again this time!"

Ryuen burst into laughter, pointing mockingly at Katsuragi. While most of the room was confused by his outburst, Hikigaya understood exactly what was going through his head.

It was simple. Katsuragi didn't realize that Hikigaya was part of the rooster group.

In other words, he had lost almost all control over his class. When it came to something like this exam, none of the students consulted him, which explained why he was left in the dark.

After all, not all of Class B's members were loyal to Sakayanagi's faction...

"Ryuen! You shameless bastard!"

Three students standing behind Katsuragi glared daggers at Ryuen. Surprisingly, they showed much less hostility toward Hikigaya. Even Katsuragi seemed less angry at him.

But that wasn't hard to understand.

Even though Hikigaya had caused greater damage to their class, using underhanded tactics along the way, the blame ultimately fell on their own lack of skill. They had no one to blame but themselves.

Ryuen, on the other hand, had agreed with them. Now, they felt betrayed, stabbed in the back by the very person they thought they could trust.

In the eyes of the Class B students, Hikigaya was an enemy, but Ryuen was far worse—a traitor. The difference between the two was clear.

Ryuen, however, paid no attention to their rage. His eyes were fixed solely on Hikigaya.

"Dead-Eyes Eyes, aren't you curious? I was just wondering… Why aren't you in this group? Instead, you're stuck in the Rooster group. Isn't that amusing?"

"...What's so funny about that?"

"Heh, still playing dumb."

Ryuen's grin widened as he looked at Hikigaya's deadpan expression. He was enjoying himself.

"Don't tell me you're as useless as these small fries?"

Ryuen's gaze shifted from face to face, clearly antagonizing everyone, prompting the students to glare even more fiercely.

"Oh, yes, you're so impressive," Hikigaya retorted sarcastically, his tone dry and indifferent, as if he couldn't even be bothered to respond properly.

But deep down, Hikigaya couldn't help but be impressed by Ryuen. The briefing hadn't even started, yet Ryuen had already figured out a crucial element of the exam.

It was clear Ryuen still had a tight grip on Class C. He must have gathered information from the other groups, giving him an early advantage.

While Hikigaya wasn't sure about Class A's situation, without Sakayanagi's leadership, Class B was probably only half-functional. And Class D? Well, that wasn't even worth discussing.

At this rate, once the school announced the VIPs tomorrow morning, Ryuen would likely be the first to identify who they were within his class.

...Maybe there was something to look forward to.

At that moment, Hikigaya felt certain—the groups weren't randomly assigned. It was clear the four homeroom teachers had been responsible for the selections, not the school.

Just looking at the group's members made it obvious. While they were leaders within their respective classes, they weren't necessarily the top-performing students on paper.

Only the homeroom teachers would know their students well enough to create such balanced groupings.

Following this line of thinking, it was also likely the VIPs weren't chosen at random either. There had to be some underlying pattern.

Of course, this was all just speculation for now.

Regardless, the sooner someone identified the VIPs in the other classes, the greater their chances of winning.

If Ryuen could win this exam, that would be a good thing. It would widen the gap between Class C and Class D even further.

According to the rules of this exam, as long as you weren't the VIP, there was no need to worry about dragging your class down.

Hikigaya had no intention of standing out. He was perfectly content to remain a quiet bystander.

He couldn't believe that out of forty people, he would be chosen as one of the three VIPs. It just wasn't going to happen.

All in all, he was ready to sit back and enjoy the show.

However, at 8:00 the next morning, as he stared at the message on his phone, Hikigaya wanted to smack his past self.

[After careful consideration, you have been selected as the VIP. Please act with responsibility as a member of your group and prepare for the exam. The test will begin at 1:00 p.m. today and will last for three days. All students in the Rooster group should gather in Room 2F of the Rooster Wing.]

Great... Thanks a lot, you jinxed it, Hikigaya.

And what did they mean by 'careful consideration'? Adjustments? Wait a minute—

Suddenly, a sinking feeling crept over him.

Had the homeroom teachers set him up on purpose?