Ryuen

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Ryuen Kakeru (original: 龙园) 63
Alias(es)	Dragon Boy 167
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Class C; its recognized leader. The class is later promoted to Class B. 127 216 247
Occupation/Role	Student; class leader, strategist, and negotiator
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 25

Appearance

Ryuen is a red-haired student whose presence immediately unsettles those around him. Kamio describes his eyes as resembling those of a venomous snake. 25

• Medium-length red hair 25
• Sharp, snake-like eyes 25
• Approximately 173 cm tall during the first semester. 69
• Often wears a malicious or amused grin when confronting opponents. 63 88 139

Personality

Ryuen is blunt, confrontational, and intensely competitive. He treats intimidation, leverage, and deception as ordinary tools of class competition, but his aggression is usually paired with careful calculations about what an opponent can realistically be forced to surrender. 28 64

He is highly suspicious of others and prefers to hold crucial responsibilities himself, including concealing his own role as Class C's leader during the Uninhabited Island Exam. 81 83 He also becomes restless when school life lacks conflict; after Class C's rapid progress, he considers dropping out because the class battles have become too easy. 166 241

Ryuen insists that he does not experience fear, even after losing decisively to Ayanokoji. Rather than retreat, he treats defeat as a reason to pursue another confrontation. 175

Abilities & Skills

Strategic Planning and Intelligence

Ryuen rapidly assesses class politics, identifies opportunities, and develops plans around incomplete or uncertain information.

• Questioned witnesses and privately settled Ishizaki's altercation with Yamauchi for 100,000 Private Points while searching for the hidden strategist in Class D. 25 26
• Recognized that Kouenji's public behavior did not fit the profile of the anonymous forum poster, while still considering the possibility of a deliberate disguise. 28
• Used Class D's leaked Sports Festival roster to construct Class C's lineup and exploit favorable matchups. 141 143
• Maintains detailed written assessments of every Class C student's strengths and weaknesses. 231
• Prepared combat-centered events—including Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Wrestling, and Women's Free Combat—for the all-grade special exam. 231

Coercion and Private-Point Negotiation

Ryuen uses debts, contracts, and damaging information to create long-term advantages for Class C.

• Offered Class D students payment to harass Class A and reduce its class points. 28
• Agreed to pay Kamio 4.5 million Private Points in exchange for securing make-up exams for three suspended Class C students. 40
• Extorted monthly payments from Class B after presenting evidence of its students stealing from Class D, then increased the debt by handing over his Key Card. 90
• Collected points from Class C's Favoritism Exam participants, arguing that centralized control would prevent waste. 127
• Considered gathering 800 million Private Points as a route to class ascension, though Kamio argued that strengthening the class for direct competition was more practical. 184

Intimidation and Class Control

Ryuen commands compliance through a mixture of fear, practical results, and selective rewards.

• Ishizaki immediately obeys his command and visibly trembles under his attention. 25
• Class C students fear his violent reputation; Ibuki states that a punch from him left her face swollen for days. 106
• His successful Uninhabited Island strategy and recovery of class points increase Class C's willingness to follow his orders. 127
• After the Sports Festival, he distributes an additional 10,000 Private Points to every classmate, an unusual gesture that surprises many students. 152
• Allows the class to determine the target of the Class Vote, then accepts its choice to expel Tokito Yuya without spending points to save him. 216 225

Combat and Physical Resilience

Ryuen is a capable and aggressive fighter who is willing to use violence to pressure others. His limits become clear when he faces Ayanokoji.

• Personally confronts opponents and is willing to escalate disputes into physical threats. 166 167
• Remains standing after Ayanokoji kicks him in the chest and sends him onto concrete. 174
• Coordinates Ishizaki and Yamada in a three-on-one assault against Ayanokoji. 174
• Is ultimately defeated and knocked unconscious by Ayanokoji; neither Ryuen nor his group can overpower him. 175
• Continues to promise a rematch after the loss rather than reporting the fight. 175

Investigation

Ryuen is adept at tracking hidden actors, though his assumptions can lead him astray.

• Finds evidence that Ayanokoji distributed the letters accusing Ichinose of unethical point collection. 173
• Initially assumes Ayanokoji is acting for a hidden mastermind and tests Kouenji as a possible culprit. 166 167
• Correctly narrows his attention to Class D, but underestimates Ayanokoji's independence and combat ability. 167 174

Relationships

• Kamio Tatsuya — Initially a suspicious rival whom Ryuen pressures over his Class A deal and possible identity as the Anonymous Poster. They later form an alliance after Kamio agrees to transfer into Class C, with Kamio supplying strategies while Ryuen retains final authority. 36 89 166 184
• Ayanokoji Kiyonaka — Rival and target of Ryuen's investigation after the Ichinose letter incident. Ryuen loses their rooftop fight but refuses to abandon the desire to defeat him. 167 174 175
• Ishizaki Daichi — Subordinate and frequent enforcer. Ishizaki fears Ryuen but becomes one of his strongest supporters after the Uninhabited Island Exam. 25 127
• Yamada Albert — Class C's physically strongest member and one of Ryuen's principal combat allies. He joins Ryuen and Ishizaki in confronting Ayanokoji. 81 134 174
• Ibuki Mio — Early Class C subordinate and island collaborator. She communicates with Ryuen by walkie-talkie and remains someone he does not intend to abandon during the Class Vote. 81 223
• Shiina Hiyori — Classmate who objects when Ryuen summons Kamio without informing her and later worries that Ryuen may get into trouble. 36 173
• Sakayanagi Arisu — Strategic rival who provokes Ryuen and makes a bet with him concerning a student in Class D. 167 168
• Tokito Yuya — Internal opponent who attempts to undermine Ryuen's leadership. Ryuen allows Tokito to be expelled in the Class Vote. 183 225
• Kouenji Rokusuke — Suspected by Ryuen of being connected to the Ichinose rumor. Ryuen abandons the confrontation after judging that Kouenji is not involved. 166 167

History

Ryuen first intervenes in the conflict between Class C and Class D after Ishizaki attacks Yamauchi. He silences Ishizaki with a glance, investigates the incident through outside witnesses, and settles the matter by transferring Yamauchi 100,000 Private Points. The encounter also prompts him to search for the hidden Class D student behind an “evil” strategy he finds intriguing. 25 26

He subsequently pressures Class D over anonymous forum posts and attempts to turn the resulting inter-class conflict into profit. His search for the anonymous poster brings him into direct conflict with Kamio, whom he suspects of acting behind the scenes. Ryuen challenges Kamio to a wager: if he can force a setback before the midterm, Kamio must provide Class D intelligence; otherwise, Ryuen must leave Kamio and Shiina alone. 28 36

When three Class C students are suspended before the midterm, Ryuen makes a costly deal with Kamio for their access to a make-up exam. Although the two distrust one another, the contract demonstrates Ryuen's willingness to borrow and spend heavily when Class C's position is at stake. 40

During the Uninhabited Island Exam, Ryuen conceals himself as Class C's leader while using Ibuki and Kaneda as visible pieces. He negotiates with Kamio, works around Class A and Class B, and preserves his ability to strike at other classes despite nominal cooperation. His island performance earns him greater support inside Class C. 81 83 88 127

Kamio later agrees to join Class C after accumulating enough points, promising to work with Ryuen against Class D. Ryuen considers the transfer a major gain and increasingly relies on Kamio's strategic input without surrendering his leadership position. 89 102 166

For the Sports Festival, Ryuen receives Class D's participation roster from an anonymous source and reorganizes Class C's entries around it. He initially intends to target Horikita through matchups and a plan involving Kinoshita, but the more dangerous scheme is abandoned. Class C nevertheless benefits from the leaked information and takes first place. 139 141 146 150 182

After someone frames Ichinose using Ryuen's name, he identifies Ayanokoji as the letter distributor but wrongly assumes that another student is directing him. His investigation culminates in a rooftop ambush, where he, Ishizaki, and Yamada attack Ayanokoji. Ayanokoji defeats all three, leaving Ryuen unconscious; Ryuen later accepts the immediate loss while swearing to keep pursuing victory. 166 173 175

The defeat triggers discussion within Class C about replacing him. Ryuen learns of Tokito's opposition through Kamio and uses Manabe to monitor the dissident faction. During the Class Vote, he refuses to spend his points to save Tokito and lets the class's decision stand, then openly praises his classmates after they choose Tokito for expulsion. 183 216 225

In the all-grade special exam, Ryuen declines to rely on underhanded tactics and entrusts command responsibilities to Kamio. He supports the preparation by providing comprehensive knowledge of Class C's members and building a team composition centered on their combat strengths. 228 231

Following Class C's advancement, Ryuen admits that Kamio's methods have made their progress too easy and considers leaving school out of boredom. Kamio persuades him that the second year will bring stronger opponents and greater challenges, convincing him to remain. 241

Notable Quotes

“I, Ryuen Kakeru, don't experience fear.” 175

“This time, you won. But it's not like I've never lost before. I'll settle the score next time.” 175

Trivia

• Ryuen's students sometimes refer to him as “Ryuen-sama.” 127 152
• He studies regularly enough to score above 70 in every subject despite his delinquent reputation. 213
• He once stayed awake all night preparing for Class C's promotion. 243
• He reads manga, despite Kamio finding his presence in a bookstore unusual. 183 184