Core and Edge

Saturday 9 AM, library seminar room.

When Hanyu Xiuyi pushed open the door, he found most people already present. Seated around the long table were Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yousuke, Kushida Kikyo, Yukimura Teruhiko, Sudo Ken, Ayanokoji Kiyonaga, Matsushita Chiaki, Hasebe Haruka, and Sotomura Hideo—exactly nine people.

"Morning." Hanyu sat down in his seat.

Horikita Suzune sat at one end of the long table, a notebook spread open before her, her black hair neatly draped over her shoulders. She looked up, gave Hanyu a glance, and nodded slightly in greeting.

Hirata Yousuke sat beside her, his blond hair gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Seeing Hanyu enter, he offered a warm smile: "Hanyu, we were just waiting for you."

Kushida Kikyo sat across from Hirata, her shoulder-length short hair tucked behind her ears with a hairpin, revealing a sweet smile. Sudo Ken sat next to her, unusually quiet, fidgeting with the pen in his hand instead of booming out a greeting. His red hair was especially wild today, as if he'd just come back from playing basketball.

Yukimura Teruhiko pushed up his glasses, a thick stack of materials spread before him. Matsushita Chiaki sat beside him, his expression as calm as ever, short hair neatly tucked behind his ears. Hasebe Haruka and Sotomura Hideo sat together, both looking a bit reserved, as if afraid to speak too much.

Ayanokoji Kiyonaga sat in the corner, a book in hand, his expression as plain as plain water.

"Since everyone's here, let's begin." Horikita Suzune closed her notebook. "Today's agenda has three items. First, summarize the gains and losses of the special exam. Second, analyze the trends of other classes. Third, formulate our next class strategy."

She looked at Yukimura Teruhiko: "You first."

Yukimura pushed up his glasses and flipped open his materials: "According to my statistics, Class D's total score in this special exam was 873 points. Of that, basic survival scored 320, team collaboration scored 210, task completion scored 180, and special rewards scored 163."

He paused, then continued: "Comparing with other classes: Class A 861, Class B 805, Class C 680. Our strengths lie in team collaboration and special rewards; our weakness is basic survival—our resource management efficiency is lower than Class A's."

"So if there's another similar exam, we need to strengthen resource management," Hanyu summarized.

"Right." Yukimura nodded. "Also, I analyzed each group's performance. The best was Group 3—Hasebe's resource team; they contributed greatly to food gathering. The worst was Group 5—Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki's logistics team; they wasted a lot of time on material transport."

Hasebe Haruka's face reddened slightly at the mention of her name, her brown short hair half-covering her face. She said quietly, "It wasn't just my effort... everyone worked hard."

"But your leadership played a key role." Hanyu affirmed. "Hasebe, from now on, resource gathering will be your responsibility."

Hasebe nodded, a flicker of recognized joy in her eyes.

"Next, analyze the other classes." Horikita Suzune took over. "Based on the intelligence I've gathered, although Class A lost this exam, their base score was the highest. Katsuragi Kohei's strategy was steady and firm—not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes. This style isn't flashy, but it's stable."

"What about Sakayanagi Arisu?" Hanyu asked.

"She didn't directly participate in command," Horikita said. "The whole process was led by Katsuragi. This might mean she's hiding her strength, or it might mean there's internal discord in Class A."

Yukimura added, "Looking at historical data, Katsuragi and Sakayanagi are two completely different styles. Katsuragi is conservative and stable; Sakayanagi is aggressive and adventurous. If they fight each other, that's an opportunity for us."

"What about Class B?" Hirata asked.

"Class B's performance was average." Horikita said. "Ichinose Honami's leadership style leans toward democracy, encouraging everyone to voice opinions. The advantage is strong cohesion; the disadvantage is low decision efficiency. They lost to us this time because their decisions were too slow, and they missed several key supply points."

"As for Class C..." Horikita paused. "Ryuen Sho tried to attack us multiple times during the exam, but failed. According to intelligence, his position in Class C is now somewhat shaky—several students are dissatisfied with him, thinking he's too dictatorial."

Sudo Ken cut in: "Serves him right! Who told him to be so arrogant!"

"But don't let your guard down," Hanyu said. "Someone like Ryuen becomes more dangerous the more frustrated he gets. He might plan a bigger retaliation in the days ahead."

Everyone nodded.

"So, what should we do next?" Kushida Kikyo asked.

Hanyu looked at Horikita. Horikita said, "I suggest we advance on several fronts simultaneously. First, strengthen internal class development so every student can find their place. Second, expand the intelligence network to keep timely tabs on other classes' movements. Third, cultivate a core team to prepare for the next special exam."

"What about specific divisions of labor?" Hirata asked.

"Hanyu handles overall coordination and external liaison," Horikita said. "I handle strategy formulation and intelligence analysis. Hirata and Kushida handle internal class coordination. Yukimura and Matsushita handle data analysis. Sudo handles physical training. Hasebe handles resource management. Sotomura handles environmental observation and guide work."

She looked at Ayanokoji Kiyonaga: "Ayanokoji, you handle risk warning and special missions."

Ayanokoji looked up at her and said flatly, "Fine."

Hanyu noticed that Horikita had considered almost everyone in her task assignments. And each person's role matched their strengths—Yukimura's logical analysis, Matsushita's calm judgment, Sudo's physical advantage, Hasebe's meticulous observation, Sotomura's sense of direction.

The only thing that surprised him slightly was that Horikita had placed Ayanokoji in the "special mission" position. It meant she was also observing this mysterious boy.

"Regarding internal class development," Hirata began, "I think we should organize more group activities to bring everyone closer. After this special exam, a lot of people have changed, especially those who usually keep a low profile."

"Like who?" Kushida asked.

"Like Sakura," Hirata said. "She used to always be alone, afraid to talk to anyone. But after coming back this time, she took the initiative to greet me and said she wants to join the next group activity."

Hanyu remembered the bag of handmade cookies from last night. Sakura really was changing.

"And Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki," Yukimura said. "Even though they performed average in the exam, they came to me on their own to discuss studies, saying they want to improve their grades."

"Sotomura too," Hasebe said quietly. "He taught everyone on the island how to identify animal tracks. A lot of people praised him for being amazing."

Sotomura Hideo's face instantly reddened at the mention of his name, and he stammered, "It's, it's nothing... just a hobby..."

"These changes are good," Hanyu said. "Our goal isn't to make a few people stronger, but to have the whole class improve together. Everyone has value; they just need to find the right place for them."

The meeting lasted two hours. When it ended, everyone left with clear tasks.

Hanyu Xiuyi was the last to walk out of the seminar room. In the hallway, Ayanokoji Kiyonaga was leaning against the wall, reading a book.

"Waiting for me?" Hanyu asked.

"Yeah." Ayanokoji closed his book. "There's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"About Class C," Ayanokoji said. "After Ryuen went back this time, several students confronted him directly. One of them was Ibuki Mio—that girl. She said Ryuen was too dictatorial and didn't consider class interests."

Hanyu raised an eyebrow: "And then?"

"Ryuen didn't lose his temper." Ayanokoji said. "That's unlike him. I suspect he's planning something bigger."

"What do you mean?"

"He might be feigning weakness." Ayanokoji said. "Letting those people think his position is shaky, then using it to root out the real opposition. That's his usual style—let things run, then settle the score."

The analysis made sense. Hanyu asked, "How do you know all this?"

Ayanokoji gave him a look and said flatly, "I have my channels."

Hanyu didn't press further. He knew that if Ayanokoji wasn't going to say, no amount of asking would help.

"Thanks for the intel." he said. "I'll keep an eye out."

"One more thing." Ayanokoji said. "About Horikita Suzune."

"What about her?"

"When she assigned tasks today, she deliberately avoided Karuizawa Kei and her friends." Ayanokoji said. "Don't you find that strange?"

Hanyu thought it over. True, Karuizawa Kei had a lot of influence among the girls, but she hadn't been mentioned at all in today's meeting.

"Maybe Horikita thinks she's not suited for the core team."

"Maybe." Ayanokoji said. "But someone like Karuizawa Kei—if you don't give her a clear role, she might become an unstable factor."

That was a point worth noting. Hanyu nodded. "I'll talk to Horikita about it."

Ayanokoji nodded, then turned and left. His footsteps faded down the hallway, soon disappearing entirely.

Hanyu Xiuyi stood there, mulling over Ayanokoji's warning. This guy always managed to spot problems where others overlooked them. Who was he, really?

But that question had no answer for now.

At three in the afternoon, Hanyu Xiuyi ran into Karuizawa Kei on the rooftop of the teaching building.

She was standing there alone, her blonde hair a little messy in the wind, phone in hand. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head, and when she saw it was Hanyu, she broke into a smile.

"Hanyu? What are you doing here?"

"Just passing by." Hanyu walked up beside her. "What about you? Thinking about something alone here?"

Karuizawa hesitated, then said, "Actually... I was thinking about the morning meeting."

"You heard about it?"

"Yeah, Kushida told me." Karuizawa looked at him. "Hanyu, I wasn't picked for the core team. Is it because I'm not good enough?"

The question was blunt. Hanyu thought for a moment and answered honestly, "No. It's because you're suited for something more important."

"Something more important?"

"The core team handles strategy and execution." Hanyu said. "But a class doesn't just need strategy and execution. It needs cohesion, atmosphere, someone to make everyone feel like they belong. Those things—you're better at them than anyone."

Karuizawa was stunned.

"You know?" Hanyu continued. "On the island, every time morale was low, you were the one livening things up. Every time someone argued, you were the one smoothing things over. Those things seem small, but they matter."

Karuizawa's eyes gradually lit up.

"So what I need from you isn't meetings or strategy." Hanyu said. "It's to make Class D a real 'class.' To give everyone a sense of belonging, to let everyone feel warmth. That's something I can't do, Horikita can't do either. Only you can."

Karuizawa was silent for a long time. The wind blew her blonde hair, making it shine in the sunlight.

Finally, she smiled. That smile wasn't as forced as usual—it came from the heart.

"Hanyu, you're really good with words." she said. "You're basically giving me a job, but you make it feel important."

"Because you are important." Hanyu said.

Karuizawa looked at him, a flicker of complex emotion in her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and flashed her signature bright smile.

"Alright, I get it! I'll make Class D the most united class ever! Leave it to me!"

She ran down the stairs, her ponytail swinging behind her, full of energy.

Hanyu Xiuyi watched her back and couldn't help a slight smile.

Another person had found their place.

That evening, when Hanyu Xiuyi returned to his dorm, he found an envelope at his door.

No name on it, just "To Hanyu Xiuyi."

He opened the envelope. Inside was a note and a photo. The note had only one line:

"Beware the quietest person around."

The photo showed a blurry figure—hard to make out who it was, but from the silhouette, it looked like it had been taken secretly in the library.

Hanyu stared at the photo for a long time. That figure...

It looked a lot like Ayanokoji Kiyonaga.

He closed the envelope and walked into his room. Outside the window, the setting sun was sinking below the horizon, the sky a fiery red.

Beware the Quietest Person Around?

He thought back to Ayanokoji's various traits—that astonishing Observation Skill, those precise predictions, that omnipresent yet never conspicuous presence.

Just who was he?

And who had sent this photo and Note?

The mysteries kept piling up.

But Hanyu knew that one day, the answers would surface.

For now, what he had to do was keep moving forward.

To lead Class D, along with these gradually uniting classmates, toward higher ground.

Night Scenery fell, and a New Day was about to begin.

The real challenges still lay ahead.