Ryūen Kaku

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ryūen Kaku (龙园翔)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Class C; later demoted alongside Class C to Class D 145 323
Occupation/Role	Student; Class C leader 145
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 88

Background / History

Ryūen rules Class C through intimidation, violence, and strict personal control. His classmates obey him out of fear, while enforcers such as Ishizaki, Komiya, Kondo, Albert, and Ibuki carry out or support his orders. He treats failures and disobedience harshly, punishing the three boys who withdrew their complaint against Sudō and warning that future mistakes would bring worse consequences 103.

During the deserted-island special exam, Ryūen deliberately has Class C spend its Test Points on luxuries. The apparent waste is a strategy: by exhausting the class's points, he avoids deductions connected to withdrawals and absences while retaining control of the exam as the hidden Class C leader 142 145. He also forms a secret arrangement with Katsuragi Kōhei, providing leader information in return for 100,000 Private Points per month until graduation 159 164.

Tōdō Shizuka uncovers both Ryūen's island strategy and his deal with Katsuragi. After physically subduing him, Tōdō forces Ryūen into a teacher-witnessed agreement that grants Tōdō half of Ryūen's proceeds from the Class A arrangement 159 160. Ryūen remains openly hostile toward Tōdō afterward, but repeatedly chooses compromise when the cost of escalation is too high 204 206 277.

Ryūen targets Class D throughout the Sports Festival and afterward, exploiting conflicts, arranging underhanded interference against Sudō and Horikita, and pressing Horikita for one million Private Points to withdraw Kinoshita's appeal 223 224 231. His obsession ultimately centers on exposing Class D's hidden mastermind.

He sets a trap using Karuizawa Kei to draw out the mastermind, assembling Class C's core members at a construction site. Ayanokōji Kiyotaka identifies himself as the target Ryūen has been seeking and defeats Ishizaki, Albert, Ibuki, and finally Ryūen himself 290 297 301 305. The defeat shatters Ryūen's faith in violence as absolute power and leaves him considering withdrawal from the academy 315 316 317.

Ibuki's refusal to accept his surrender, together with Tōdō's provocation, gradually rekindles Ryūen's ambition. Following Class C's demotion, he resolves to change and lead his class forward rather than abandon it 318 319 321 323.

Appearance

Ryūen is described as tall and straight-backed, with an untamed presence that remains recognizable even at a distance. He is meticulous about his appearance and does not tolerate looking disheveled 164 287.

• Keeps his forehead hair carefully styled 164
• Often projects a cold, predatory gaze and oppressive demeanor 103 204
• Maintains composed posture and unusually steady breathing during zazen training 352

Personality

Ryūen is arrogant, ruthless, and intensely competitive. He sees fear as an efficient means of creating order, viewing classmates as tools or pieces to be used for Class C's advantage rather than equals 103 206. His authority is so absolute that Class C can become silent and orderly merely through his presence 204.

He is calculating rather than purely reckless. He makes covert alliances, uses information as leverage, and can accept humiliating concessions when refusal would endanger his larger objectives 159 277. However, when personally challenged—especially by Tōdō or Ayanokōji—his pride can turn into obsession and violent desperation 289 303 305.

After Ayanokōji's victory, Ryūen enters a prolonged crisis of confidence. He begins reassessing what strength and leadership mean, eventually showing greater patience, willingness to cooperate, and awareness that followers should choose to follow rather than be forced 316 351 355.

Abilities & Skills

Leadership and Intimidation

Ryūen exerts near-total control over Class C through fear, discipline, and decisive command.

• Keeps Class C orderly without needing to speak or rally its students 204
• Punishes subordinates who act independently or fail his plans 103
• Uses Class C members as operatives, spies, and expendable pieces in broader strategies 145 223
• Later recognizes that leadership should inspire voluntary loyalty rather than fear 355

Strategy and Manipulation

Ryūen plans around rules, incentives, alliances, and psychological pressure.

• Engineers Class C's Test Point depletion as part of his deserted-island strategy 142 145
• Trades class-leader information to Katsuragi for a long-term Private Point payment 159
• Maintains covert contact with Hashimoto's faction while dealing with Katsuragi 159
• Exploits the fragility of the Class A–Class D alliance during the Sports Festival 223
• Uses Karuizawa as bait in an attempt to expose Class D's mastermind 290 292

Combat Ability

Ryūen is an experienced and aggressive close-range fighter whose authority in Class C was partly built on superior physical force.

• Uses fast, forceful kicks, punches, elbow strikes, and close-quarters grappling 289 303
• Favors practical, ruthless street-fighting methods over sportsmanship 304
• Escalates to using a metal folding stool when unable to defeat Ayanokōji directly 304
• Is decisively outmatched in one-on-one fights by both Tōdō and Ayanokōji 159 289 305

Physical Endurance and Focus

Despite his volatility, Ryūen possesses strong endurance and concentration when committed to a task.

• Leads his group to victory in a relay race during the Mixed Training Camp 356
• Maintains stable posture and deep, steady breathing throughout zazen 352
• Continues trying to rise and fight after suffering a severe defeat from Ayanokōji 305

Relationships

• Tōdō Shizuka — Rival, blackmailer, and occasional transactional partner. Tōdō discovers Ryūen's deals, forces him to surrender half his Class A proceeds, and repeatedly defeats or provokes him 159 204 289 321.
• Ayanokōji Kiyotaka — Class D's mastermind and Ryūen's defining opponent. Ryūen becomes obsessed with identifying him, then suffers a crushing defeat after luring him into a trap 290 297 301 305.
• Ibuki Rei — Trusted Class C operative and one of the few people willing to confront Ryūen directly. She challenges his attempt to give up and becomes a catalyst for his recovery 301 316 318.
• Katsuragi Kōhei — Secret island-exam partner. Ryūen supplies leader information in exchange for 100,000 Private Points monthly until graduation 159 164.
• Kushida Kikyo — Covert informant from Class D who feeds him internal information 204.
• Karuizawa Kei — Used by Ryūen as leverage to force Class D's mastermind into the open; she refuses to reveal Ayanokōji under intimidation 290 292.
• Horikita Suzune — Frequent target of Ryūen's schemes during the Sports Festival, including Kinoshita's appeal and his demand for one million Private Points 224 231.
• Kōenji Rokusuke — A Class D student Ryūen threatens while trying to uncover the mastermind's identity; Ryūen ultimately recognizes Kōenji as an unusually dangerous opponent 282 285.
• Ishizaki Daichi, Komiya Yago, and Kondo Rin — Subordinates whom Ryūen disciplines through fear after they withdraw their complaint against Sudō 103.
• Albert — Powerful Class C enforcer who supports Ryūen and participates in the trap against Ayanokōji 103 290 301.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Class C's Campaign Against Sudō

Ryūen's subordinates corner Sudō as part of a plan to use him against Class D and divert attention while Class C targets Class A. When the scheme is compromised, Ryūen punishes the subordinates who retreat from the complaint 88 103.

Deserted-Island Special Exam

Ryūen covertly serves as Class C's leader, drains the class's Test Points, and cooperates with Katsuragi. Tōdō exposes the arrangement and forces Ryūen to surrender half his promised income 142 145 159.

Sports Festival Schemes

Ryūen maintains Class C's order through silent pressure while arranging tactics to weaken Class D and destabilize its alliance with Class A. He later attempts to extort Horikita through Kinoshita's accusation 204 223 231.

Hunt for Class D's Mastermind

Convinced that an unseen strategist has repeatedly defeated him, Ryūen interrogates suspects, threatens Kōenji, and prepares a trap centered on Karuizawa. The plan reveals Ayanokōji's identity but ends in Ryūen's total defeat 285 290 297 305.

Defeat and Reformation

Ryūen's loss causes him to question his identity as a ruler defined by violence. Ibuki and Tōdō push him out of apathy; he later begins cooperating with classmates, demonstrates composure, and publicly defines leadership as earning willing followers 316 318 323 351 355.

Notable Quotes

“Next time, if you dare to act on your own, or mess things up... it won't be as simple as taking a punch.” 103

“I can disregard class points, personal evaluations, and all those boring interests, just to achieve my objective!” 285

“True leadership is not about making people fear you, but about making them willing to follow you.” 355

Trivia

• Ryūen's secret deal with Katsuragi originally promised him 100,000 Private Points per month until graduation, but Tōdō's agreement claims half of those proceeds 159 160.
• He identifies his own former rule as dependent on “claws” capable of suppressing resistance through fear 317.
• Although he initially considers leaving after Ayanokōji's defeat, he ultimately chooses to remain and rebuild his ambition 316 323.