The Mastermind Behind Classes B and D (Ryuen Kakeru's Perspective)

—Ryuen Kakeru's Perspective—

I was Ryuen Kakeru, and ever since I was a child, I'd enjoyed using violence to rule others.

Ever since I learned the truth about Kouiku, I'd been excited every day. I was going to become Kouiku's one and only leader.

I'd turn this Uninhabited Island Exam into a stage I'd carefully prepared.

On the first day of the Uninhabited Island Exam, I found Class B and used 100 points to nullify the contract between Classes B and C. That would not only let me carry out my "zero-point plan," but also prepare for Special Exams that hadn't come yet.

After that, I'd planned to offer 100 points in exchange for every student in Class A transferring 10,000 personal points to me each month. That would make it possible to carry out the "20 million points to transfer classes" plan I'd envisioned.

But then someone unexpected approached me before I could do that...

"Hey, Ryuen! It's been ages~." Hashimoto waved at me with a smile.

"One of Sakayanagi's lackeys? If you don't have a reason to be here, get lost. Don't think I won't do something to you," I said irritably.

"Oh, dear, Ryuen, no need to get so worked up. The princess, Sakayanagi, asked me to pass something on to you." Hashimoto paused and looked at me. I sat down and gestured for him to continue.

"She wanted me to tell you that Class A's leader is Totsuka Yahiko." Hashimoto ran a hand through his hair as he said it.

"You think I'll believe you just because you say so?" I challenged him, even though I already believed it was true.

Sakayanagi was leaking the identity of the leader so that Katsuragi would fail and she could take charge of Class A herself.

"Three hours from now, Class A will check in three kilometers west of here. You can go confirm it yourself." With that, Hashimoto left.

I was planning to go find Class A anyway, so confirming it would be no trouble. This useful information would also give me more leverage in the negotiations.

In the end, I threatened Class A with spreading the news that Totsuka Yahiko was their leader and added 100 points to the deal. We signed the following contract:

1. Each person who signed the contract would transfer 30,000 personal points to Ryuen Kakeru every month, until Ryuen Kakeru left the school.

2. Class C would provide reliable information about the leaders of Classes B and D.

3. Classes A and C would not try to guess each other's leader.

It looked like a win-win contract, but Class C had already won.

Back at Class C's camp, I picked Kaneda and Ibuki, beat them until they were covered in bruises, and gave each of them a camera and a satellite phone. I sent them to spy on Classes B and D.

After that, I spent the remaining 100 points ostentatiously, making sure everyone at school thought Class C planned to give up on the exam.

Once I'd had my fill of fun, I packed enough essential supplies into a supply box and began my life alone on the island, waiting for the results.

At first, the plan went smoothly. If things kept going this way, Class C would earn a decent number of points.

But then, the unexpected happened that day...

A Class B student named Baiye Ying discovered me. I had no choice but to use violence to keep him quiet.

But Baiye had been hiding his true abilities. His martial arts were so advanced that I couldn't fight back at all.

I couldn't understand why a student like him was still completely unknown. Or maybe I simply hadn't known about him. I'd have to look into it later.

My identity might be exposed, but at this point, it wouldn't matter even if it was. I'd just miss out on the fun of seeing the other students' shocked faces.

The day before the exam ended, Ibuki and Kaneda both obtained information about the leaders of Classes B and D.

By some coincidence, neither of their cameras worked for some reason, so they brought back the leader cards instead.

Katsuragi of Class A and I both checked them. They were genuine leader cards.

Class B's leader was Chihiro Shiranami, while Class D's leader was Horikita Suzune.

After Ibuki and Kaneda had returned to the cruise ship to rest, Sakagami found me and asked me to fill out the leader list.

But I was more concerned about Baiye's actions. I had a feeling things weren't as simple as I'd imagined.

First of all, Class B had definitely learned that I was Class C's leader, which meant the 30 bonus points I'd worked so hard to earn by checking in these past few days were useless.

The contract with Class A prevented me from guessing their leader. I'd only get 100 points by correctly guessing the leaders of both Classes B and D.

I was certain that Class D's leader was Horikita Suzune, but as for Class B... My instincts told me something was off, so I decided to play it safe and only wrote down Class D's leader. After all, thanks to the contract with Class A, Class C would win this exam no matter what the final result was.

But I simply couldn't accept the final result. It completely shattered my previous understanding of Class D.

"Ryuen, what should we do now?"

Inside one of the cruise ship's karaoke rooms, Ishizaki asked me, bent over.

"Go catch the rat. The one hiding in Class D."

That was my answer. I'd already figured out that Baiye was the rat secretly hiding in Class B, but Class D had a rat too, and it irritated me.

A certain person's face came to mind: that guy with reddish-brown hair who was always following Horikita. Could he be Class D's rat?

Once the thought occurred to me, it took root in my mind like a seed. I started finding plenty of things that supported it.

"Come on. We're going to find the one from Class D." I put on my jacket as I spoke. Ishizaki and the others followed me out of the karaoke room.

At the self-service drink station on the deck, I spotted the prey I'd come for. And there was an unexpected bonus, too...

"Baiye, you were a huge help this time." Ayanokoji ordered a juice and sat beside Ying.

"What? I didn't do anything." Ying took a sip of the iced orange juice, lemonade, and cola the bartender had just mixed for him.

Just then, Ayanokoji looked toward a table on the left. Ryuen noticed his gaze, immediately stood up, and walked over.

"Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, were you the one behind Class D's plans this time?" Ryuen only glanced at Ying before fixing his eyes on Ayanokoji.

"I don't understand what you're talking about. Horikita Suzune is Class D's leader, and she came up with the whole plan this time," Ayanokoji replied calmly.

"If you won't admit it, fine. I've confirmed it already. Someday, I'll drag you both onto a dazzling stage and then stomp you into the ground!"

Ryuen tossed out his threat and turned to leave.

"By the way, did you become Class D's leader because Horikita got sick?" Ying added a little coffee to his drink and asked Ayanokoji.

"Yeah. It's hard not to admire her for holding out for a whole week in those conditions. What about your Class B? How did you end up as its leader?"

"Apparently, Shiranami ate some oysters that weren't cooked properly and got sick. So Hoshinomiya-sensei had to choose a new leader, and I ended up getting picked."

Ying thought back to what Hamaguchi had told him earlier and answered.

"Is that so? I should get going. Horikita's waiting for me." Ayanokoji stood up as he spoke.

"Popular guys should just die!"

"If I understand you correctly, you might count as one too, Baiye." Ayanokoji gave him a helpless look.

"Ibuki, tell me again about the person you mentioned."

Back at Class C's base, Ryuen crossed his legs and spoke to Ibuki. Although she looked annoyed, she still answered:

"He was wearing a weird outfit and a coconut mask. He was incredibly good with a staff."

Ryuen rubbed his forehead. Wasn't that description of Ying? But what confused him was that Ying was in Class B. Why had he been in Class D?

"Baiye, you were a huge help this time."

Ryuen remembered what Ayanokoji had just said. Could it be...

Ayanokoji: Last time, you pinned it on me. Now I'm returning the favor.