Assassin and Spy

"Kaneda, are you saying Ryuen from Class C kicked you out?" Shibata asked the battered Kaneda inside Class B's camp.

"Yes. I couldn't stand Ryuen's way of doing things, so I was ostracized in Class C and kicked out." Kaneda spoke resentfully.

"You're so badly hurt. Why not go straight back to the cruise ship to recover? Do you want us to take you?" Hamaguchi asked, looking at Kaneda's swollen face.

"These injuries are nothing. I'm used to them. Besides, Ryuen said that if I went back to the ship, I wouldn't be able to stay in Class C anymore..." Kaneda said sadly.

"How could Ryuen do something like that!" Shibata said angrily.

"Kaneda, you can stay here with Class B! Everyone in Class B will welcome you!" Ichinose said indignantly.

"That's right! All of us in Class B will welcome you!" Hamaguchi chimed in.

"Ying, you should say something too." Shibata turned to Ying, who had been silent the whole time, and spoke.

"Uh... oh... I don't mind," Ying replied blandly.

"What's with you? You're usually the first one to jump in when something like this happens," Hamaguchi said in surprise.

"What? Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering whether Kaneda should sleep in Tetsuya's bed," Ying denied.

The others might not know, but he did. Kaneda was actually a spy sent by Class C. Everyone in Class B was too kindhearted; none of them would even consider the possibility.

If Class C figured out who was leading Class B, all the reward points Class B had worked so hard to earn would be gone. He had to make the others in Class B realize it! Ying thought.

After that, Kaneda settled into Class B's camp. The sky was growing dark, and the students in Class B began preparing dinner.

"Ying, come give me a hand!" Hamaguchi called to Ying as he made soup.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Ying raised his arms, which were full of branches, and continued toward the campfire.

"I'll help!" Kaneda said, joining Hamaguchi in making vegetable soup.

Ying watched them from a distance, narrowing his eyes... Let's see when you slip up!

"Byakuya, are you concerned about Kaneda?" Kanzaki saw Ying's expression and came over to ask.

"Yeah. Have you noticed anything suspicious?" Ying figured that Kanzaki would have his doubts.

"Are you suspecting... that Kaneda is a spy from Class C?" Kanzaki said after thinking it over.

"Exactly! I knew you'd figure it out!" Ying said excitedly.

"But so far, Kaneda hasn't done anything suspicious. He's even told Class B a lot about Class C," Kanzaki analyzed calmly.

"What!? Don't let appearances fool you! If Class B's leader is exposed, all those reward points will be wasted! Damn it, if only we could change leaders!" Ying suddenly cried out, shaking Kanzaki by the shoulders.

"Byakuya, calm down. We can't just change leaders whenever we want. And Kaneda might not be a spy. We all know how Ryuen acts, and Kaneda's injuries are real." Kanzaki pushed Byakuya away, exasperated.

"Damn it! You believe Kaneda too? He's got so many injuries—why didn't he go back to the ship? Doesn't being sick or injured count as being unable to take the exam?" Ying complained, clutching his head, then headed toward Hamaguchi to eat.

Kanzaki stood there, thoughtful. He had a feeling there was another meaning behind Ying's words...

"Kaneda, you're quite a good cook. Lots of people in Class B have been praising you!" Ichinose praised him, holding a bowl of the vegetable soup Kaneda had made.

"Not at all. I just used to cook for myself a lot at home," Kaneda said modestly.

"Tch." Ying scoffed.

"Byakuya really is the best cook, though... hahaha..." Ichinose said, sounding a little helpless.

The next day, to verify whether Kaneda's information was accurate, Class B formed a reconnaissance team to investigate Class C's base.

"I heard Class C is on the beach where we started," Hamaguchi said as they walked.

"Not only that, Ryuen spent all their points having fun. He doesn't care about anyone else in his class!" Kaneda said angrily from the front of the group.

Ying followed silently at the rear. Ryuen's zero-point strategy had been interesting, but it had still lost to Ayanokoji.

"Ying, hurry up. We're almost there," Hamaguchi called from up ahead. "Once we get there, we'll know whether Kaneda's been telling the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Ying answered distractedly, quickening his pace a little.

"Well, I'll be..." Hamaguchi said as they reached Class C's base and saw the students eating, drinking, and having fun.

Class C really had come here on vacation. Beach volleyball, surfing, an outdoor barbecue... Ying's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Hey! You're from Class B. This is Class C's camp. What are you doing here?" Ishizaki saw Ying and the others and came over to warn them.

"We came to discuss Kaneda with Ryuen," Kanzaki replied, standing in for Ichinose.

"You're Kanzaki Ryuji? Ryuen's waiting for you over there." Ishizaki pointed to Ryuen, who was lying beneath a beach umbrella in the distance, wearing sunglasses.

"Kanzaki? What are you doing at Class C's camp? Interfering with another class can cost you Class Points, you know," Ryuen said, noticing the Class B group.

"Kaneda from your class is at our camp now," Kanzaki said.

"So?" Ryuen replied indifferently.

"So we want your class to take care of one of our students too. I recommend myself," Ying suddenly spoke up. Life in Class C was way too comfortable.

"What are you talking about?" Ryuen said, unable to make sense of Ying's words.

"Never mind. We're just here to see whether what Kaneda told us was true. Since Class C really did abandon Kaneda, Class B doesn't mind taking care of him on your behalf. I just hope that, as the class leader, you'll think more about your classmates." Having said that, Kanzaki led everyone away. Ying looked reluctant to leave Class C's heavenly camp.

When they returned to Class B's camp, Kaneda soon fit right in. Everyone in Class B treated him like one of their own—everyone except Ying.

"Kaneda, you know what you're doing, don't you?" Ying asked that night as the two of them kept watch outside.

"Byakuya, what do you mean?" Kaneda asked, confused by Ying's sudden question.

"You're actually a spy from Class C, aren't you? Aren't you afraid you'll be found out?" Ying asked coldly.

"Byakuya, that's really not the case. I came here because I was ostracized by Class C. I'll stay in Class B until the exam ends. You don't have to worry about me leaking anything." Kaneda denied it.

Ying frowned slightly, keeping his eyes on Kaneda as he tried to find a flaw in his expression. But Kaneda was good at disguising himself. Judging by his various microexpressions, he really was a spy. But Ying couldn't find any conclusive evidence.

At that moment, Ying noticed the bag Kaneda always kept with him and never let anyone touch...

"You're from Class A? What do you want with Class C?" Ryuen asked impatiently.

"Hahaha, I've heard plenty about Class C's tyrant. I'm Hashimoto Masayoshi from Class A. Looking at Class C's camp, I can see it captures the spirit of vacation better than any other class," Hashimoto said with a laugh.

"You're with the Sakayanagi Faction, aren't you? With Sakayanagi absent, Katsuragi is in charge of this exam. What can you offer me?" Ryuen taunted.

"Princess, let me tell you..." Hashimoto told Ryuen about the task Sakayanagi had assigned him.

"Interesting. Hahaha!" Ryuen rose to his feet, laughing, then headed toward Class A's campsite.