Ryuen Kakeru

Biodata

Name	Ryuen Kakeru (龙园翔)
Alias(es)	“Boss Ryuen” 124 568
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Class 2-C; formerly Class 1-C, which fell to Class 1-D 235 568
Occupation/Role	Class leader and strategist 381
Status	Active 611
First Appearance	Chapter 29 29

Background / History

Ryuen had already seized control of Class C within his first month at Advanced Nurturing High School. His authority was built on intimidation: students feared him, and girls in the class were observed trembling or bearing bruises. Ryuen himself viewed his “iron-fisted” rule as the only effective way to govern a class where the strong prey on the weak. 47 102

He combined that coercive leadership with information gathering. After someone obtained his contact information, he assigned Shiina Hiyori to investigate the anonymous party. He also selected students such as Sudo Ken as targets based on their usefulness and vulnerabilities. 47 114

During the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, Ryuen arranged a partnership with Class A through water supplies, used Ibuki Mio and Kaneda Satoru as moles in rival classes, and secretly remained on the island as Class C’s leader. His plan relied on hiding until the seventh day, then exploiting the leader-guessing phase. 148 149 153 Shimizu Akira ultimately exposed the final leader changes with a hidden voice recorder, publicly ruining Ryuen’s scheme before all four classes. 156 157

Ryuen continued to challenge Class D through the VIP Special Exam and Sports Festival. He extracted information from others’ reactions, attempted to purchase Class D VIP information, and arranged a Tian Ji horse-racing-style roster to maximize Class C’s athletic matchups. His attempt to have Kinoshita Minori interfere with Horikita Suzune’s race was anticipated and neutralized by Shimizu. 170 174 218 220

After repeatedly being outmaneuvered by Shimizu, Ryuen tried to expose Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Kushida Kikyou in Class C. Ichinose Honami discredited him by revealing his past conduct, leaving him unable to substantiate his accusations without implicating himself. Ryuen later admitted that he had lost because he relied on a reputational attack rather than the direct intimidation and pressure at which he excelled. 277 278 279

Ryuen escalated his conflict with Shimizu by cornering Karuizawa Kei on a camera-disabled rooftop. When Shimizu intervened, Ryuen was decisively beaten in a one-on-one fight and forced to recognize the gap between their physical abilities. The defeat destabilized the fear-based authority he held over his class. 280 281 284

After a period of withdrawal, Ryuen regained his drive. Shiina supported his return to leadership, citing his ambitious plan to accumulate 800 million Private Points and raise all forty students in his class to Class A. He was reinstated as leader after helping the class secure results in subsequent special exams, though classmates noted that he no longer casually assaulted people as he had before. 295 296 381

As leader of Class 2-C, Ryuen continued to use class resources aggressively. He tested his classmates’ loyalty by having them nominate him for expulsion, exposing seventeen votes in favor of removing him, then maneuvered the Unanimous Special Exam toward Manabe Shiho’s expulsion for 100 Class Points. 568 569 He also pursued retaliation against Yagami Takuya over Kinoshita’s injuries, organizing an ambush using tear gas and a baseball bat. 571 572

Appearance

Ryuen is a red-haired student. 126

• Often carries himself with an openly hostile, confrontational demeanor. 29 126
• Uses a street-brawler stance when fighting rather than formal boxing technique. 280

Personality

Ryuen is aggressive, provocative, and intensely prideful. He enjoys forcing others into uncomfortable positions, taunting opponents, and displaying control publicly. His leadership originally depended on fear, violence, and the belief that weaker classmates should obey stronger ones. 47 124 277

Despite his recklessness, Ryuen is not thoughtlessly impulsive. He studies rules, class rosters, incentives, and emotional reactions for exploitable weaknesses. His usual approach is to secure a stable advantage before taking additional risks, though his desire to humiliate opponents can undermine otherwise sound strategies. 149 170 220

Ryuen can recognize his own failures. After his failed attempt to discredit Ayanokouji and Kushida, he concluded that he had lost because he used a method outside his strengths rather than relying on pressure and intimidation. Shiina’s reminder not to abandon those strengths helped pull him out of his post-defeat stagnation. 278 279

Beneath his cruelty, Ryuen possesses a broader vision for his class than his behavior initially suggests. His 800-million-point plan was intended to bring every member of the class to Class A, and he has shown particular patience toward loyal followers such as Ishizaki. 290 295 296

Abilities & Skills

Strategic Planning

Ryuen develops layered plans built around special-exam rules, class resources, and human behavior.

• Concealed himself as Class C’s leader during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam while using moles to collect intelligence from other classes. 149 153
• Exploited withdrawal rules and the possibility of changing leaders to make Class C harder to target. 155
• Identified VIP information through reactions and conversation traps during the VIP Special Exam. 170 171
• Designed a Tian Ji horse-racing-style participant roster for the Sports Festival. 218
• Planned to use Class C’s 36 million Private Points to recruit capable freshmen for future special exams. 398

Intimidation and Manipulation

Ryuen maintains influence by making disobedience costly and loyalty valuable.

• Uses threats and physical punishment against subordinates who fail him. 124 148
• Pressured Karuizawa Kei for information and attempted to force her into spying on her classmates. 125 280
• Used Yamauchi Haruki’s desperation and Manabe Shiho’s fear to create leverage against other classes. 235 257 260
• Manipulated the Unanimous Special Exam’s voting rules to identify dissenters and protect himself from expulsion. 568
• Rewarded useful subordinates with Private Points, including Manabe after her work involving Yamauchi. 260

Information Gathering

Ryuen makes extensive use of surveillance, informants, negotiations, and pressure.

• Ordered Shiina to investigate the individual connected to his leaked contact information. 47
• Used Ibuki and Kaneda as infiltrators during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. 149 153
• Repeatedly pursued the identities behind “X,” “Anonymous,” and the account known as “Yueqing.” 262 266 277
• Attempted to leverage Class D’s VIP information to disrupt interclass cooperation. 173 174

Combat

Ryuen is capable in ordinary fights but is not among the school’s strongest combatants.

• Fights with direct, street-brawler tactics and is willing to use ambushes or tools rather than rely on a fair contest. 280 542 571
• Was defeated by Shimizu Akira after being unable to overcome Shimizu’s superior boxing technique and physical strength. 281
• Could not react effectively to Yagami Takuya’s direct attack and required Yamada Albert’s intervention. 571
• Relies on allies such as Yamada when facing opponents beyond his own physical limits. 418 571

Equipment / Resources

• Walkie-talkie — Used to coordinate his Uninhabited Island operations while hiding from the other classes. 148 149
• Baseball bat — Carried during the ambush on Yagami Takuya. 572
• Tear gas spray — Used by Ryuen’s group to gain an advantage over Yagami. 571
• Class Private Points — Treats the class’s accumulated funds as strategic capital for deals, recruitment, and exam preparation. 398 608

Relationships

• Shimizu Akira — Primary rival and recurring obstacle. Shimizu repeatedly exposes Ryuen’s schemes, defeats him on the rooftop, and remains the opponent Ryuen cannot ignore. 156 185 281
• Shiina Hiyori — Strategic adviser and one of the few classmates willing to challenge Ryuen directly. She supports his return as leader but rejects many of his methods. 279 295 381
• Ishizaki Daichi — Loyal subordinate who addresses him as “Boss Ryuen” and remains devoted even after Ryuen’s defeat. 124 291 292
• Yamada Albert — Powerful subordinate and major physical asset. Albert follows Ryuen but refuses some of his underhanded proposals and intervenes to protect him from Yagami. 102 114 571
• Ibuki Mio — Classmate and operative used as a mole during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam. Their relationship is volatile; she has openly opposed his actions. 132 149 153
• Manabe Shiho — Subordinate whom Ryuen rewarded for manipulating Yamauchi, then later engineered into being expelled when she became expendable. 260 569
• Yagami Takuya — Enemy targeted by Ryuen in retaliation for Kinoshita Minori’s injuries. Ryuen’s group successfully ambushed him but could not defeat him through direct combat alone. 542 571 572
• Nagumo Miyabi — Ryuen provokes Nagumo after his Sports Festival defeat and attempts to draw him into a Cultural Festival bet for Class 2-C’s benefit. 608

Notable Quotes

“I didn't lose to Shimizu Akira—I lost to myself! My thinking was wrong from the very start! Smearing someone's reputation isn't what I'm good at in the first place!” 278

“I, Ryuen Kakeru, have always been a man who keeps his word!” 258

“You can't compete with that guy in physical strength. You have to use your brain to beat him.” 608