Class C Is the Final Target

After quickly taking stock of the items in her hiding place, the short-haired girl dug out the emerald green Key Card from a patch of soil buried under a rock in a corner.

The name above is clearly written: Ibuki Mio.

After devising this plan to infiltrate the island, the original leader, Shiina Hiyori, withdrew from the exam, so a new leader had to be chosen between Ryuen and Ibuki. At the time, everyone's opinion was more inclined towards Ibuki, who had always been the class leader, so this decision was made.

"Do you think that guy Hashiba will guess who our leader is?" Ryuen Kakeru asked Ibuki, who was packing her things, while carrying her schoolbag.

"I have no idea."

Ibuki Mio bent down to tidy up the things on the ground, a thoughtful look on her small face.

"Heh, his goal is probably the same: to guess who the leaders of the other three classes are. We'll see then."

"Maybe. Did they ever come back while I was away?" Ibuki carefully put the Key Card away and asked this crucial question, since she would be the one to fill in her name later.

"Manabe was here." Ryuen Kakeru grinned. "The leader of Class C is Horikita Suzune; that's the information she confirmed."

"Really?" A hint of joy flashed in the short-haired girl's eyes. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable to be lurking on the island, as long as she could gain something, it would all be worth it in the end.

"Now that Hashiba has discovered you, it seems our chances of getting the information have become even slimmer." Ryuen Kakeru's tone was emotionless. "We now have the names of the leaders of two classes and have also reached an agreement with Katsuragi. The real harvest time will come after the exams."

"That's a real shame..."

"Yamashita- kun arrived at Class A's camp before Hashiba Hikaru found me. We can wait and see how things turn out." Ibuki hadn't completely given up hope.

"Then let's wait and see."

As the two of them walked out with their backpacks on, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had been crouching in the grass, was already very close to them. He had taken the opportunity to move forward a lot after Ibuki and Ryuen Kakeru entered the cave.

After all, it would be difficult to carry out an eavesdropping plan if the distance was too great.

"Do you think I'll become the new class leader after this exam?" Ryuen Kakeru glanced at Ibuki Mio following behind him, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"We all stayed on the island, and we all paid the same price. Why would anyone side with you?" Ibuki Mio retorted dismissively.

"But I was the one who came up with the plan. If it were you, could you get the names of the leaders from the other classes?"

Ryuen Kakeru opened his palm and slowly uttered a sentence.

"This exam is my stage to prove myself. After receiving the Class Evaluation Points, you'll realize that your abilities are simply insufficient to lead the class forward."

"Besides, I wasn't the one who made the mistake, was I?"

"..."

Stung by his words, Ibuki silent for a moment, but she wasn't the type to give up after a single failure, so she quickly rallied and spoke again.

"I'll explain my mistake to everyone then. As for who they'll vote for, I don't know. Anyway, I've been the class leader until now." A resolute glint appeared in Ibuki Mio's eyes. "There are still many exams to come, and I'll continue to help the class."

"Haha, let's wait and see. If I win, I'll give you a job as a delivery boy, so don't worry."

"Snort."

"However, Shiina's plan was quite useful. If I were to infiltrate the island alone and be discovered by that guy Hashiba, the plan would still fail even if he didn't look at the Key Card."

"Indeed, Shiina has always been very perceptive."

Both of them spoke highly of Shiina Hiyori, and this unexpected situation has proven her foresight.

"You'd better be more careful; I don't want to go through this again." Ryuen Kakeru wanted to check on the Key Card.

"You don't need to worry about that, I know what to do."

After their conversation ended, they disappeared into the depths of the forest once more, disappearing through the bushes.

After a while, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood up from the bushes beside him. He expressionlessly straightened the weeds off his clothes and made his own judgment.

Although no Key Card was seen, the conversation between the two people clearly revealed the answer.

The Key Card holder for Class D is Ibuki Mio.

"We've already got the first one, where should we go next?"

After thinking for a while, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka decided to gather information about the leaders of other classes by searching their bases. Knowing just one leader's name wouldn't be enough if he wanted to get more points.

The boy disappeared into the forest. He moved very fast, and if his classmates were nearby, they probably wouldn't be able to connect this agile figure with the usually quiet and reserved person.

The Class A camp at this moment.

After Hashiba Hikaru obtained the information she wanted, although she didn't see the Key Card with her own eyes, she actually made a very detailed judgment on the relationship between Ibuki Mio and Ryuen Kakeru.

It wasn't the first time he'd known these two people. He only needed to gather one last piece of information: the one who had come to Class A's camp Yamashita Saki.

"Yamashita -kun, can we chat for a bit?" Hashiba Hikaru walked up to the student from Class D with twin tails.

"Hey, Classmate Hashiba, is there something you need?"

Yamashita Saki has been at this camp for a while, so she has a good understanding of Hashiba Hikaru's position in Class A. Although the nominal class leader is Ichinose Honami, the one who can truly make the final decision is the handsome boy in front of her.

He was ridiculously popular in the class; both boys and girls enjoyed being around him.

"Um... it's just a small problem. Can we talk in private for a moment?"

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Ichinose Honami, who had been watching her since she approached to speak, and gave her a look that said, "Take it easy."

"Uh... okay."

Yamashita Saki was temporarily taken away from Class A's camp by Hashiba Hikaru and brought to a secluded spot outside.

"It's actually a very simple question, can you answer me honestly, Yamashita -kun?" Hashiba Hikaru stared into his eyes.

"Well... it depends on what you're asking. If I know the answer, I will."

Although she never had the chance to find out who the leader of the class was, since Yamashita Saki had been chosen as an undercover agent, she felt she had to work hard to complete the mission, as it represented real Private Points.

As for this Classmate Hashiba, it's best not to offend him openly, at least for now, or things will get even more complicated.

"What I want to ask is, is Ryuen really the leader of your class right now?"

"Huh?"

This question was somewhat beyond Yamashita Saki's expectations, but she quickly calmed herself down and continued to act as she had previously demonstrated.

"Yes, it's that guy Ryuen."

"Yeah?"

Hashiba Hikaru's gaze swept over Yamashita's feigned anger before she spoke.

"If that's the case, has Yamashita -kun thought about how to get along with him after the exam? After all, in my impression Ryuen is quite a violent person."

"He won't hold back just because you're a girl. Since he already hit you, he might do something even more violent once we get back to the Cruise Ship."

"Hmph, if he dares to lay a hand on me again, I won't just sit here and wait to die."

Although Yamashita Saki pretended to be very angry, there was no worry in her eyes.

Because she knew very well that the things Hashiba Hikaru was guessing would basically not happen. After all, the real leader had always been Ibuki, and with Albert, whom Ryuen couldn't beat, around, he wouldn't dare to make a move in the class.

The red mark was drawn by Yamashita himself, just to pretend that he had a conflict with Ryuen Kakeru.

Such an expression naturally fell into Hashiba Hikaru's eyes without missing a beat, and he continued to ask calmly.

"Actually, we can help you. Ichinose and I both hate violence. If Ryuen keeps bullying you, you can come to us."

Seeing the boy's sincere tone, Yamashita Saki was only taken aback for a moment before maintaining her defiant attitude and saying, "I'm not afraid of him. I'll handle these things myself. There's no need to trouble you."

"Alright then, I hope Ryuen can tone it down a bit."

Hashiba Hikaru sighed, scrutinized the other person's face, and uttered another sentence.

"What about your former class leader Ibuki? Has she returned to the Cruise Ship yet?"

"!"

Hearing Ibuki Mio's name suddenly made Yamashita Saki's heart tighten, after all, the other party was the one who possessed the Key Card and was hiding on the island.

But then she thought that these were the deepest secrets in the class, and she believed that Hashiba Hikaru couldn't possibly know them, so she forced herself to calm down and slowly replied.

"Yes, Ibuki has already returned to the Cruise Ship."

"Is that so?"

Chapter 165 Class C is the Ultimate Goal

"Um, do you have any other questions? I'm a little tired..."

Yamashita Saki felt considerable pressure under Hashiba Hikaru's scrutinizing gaze, as she didn't want to abandon her plans and therefore couldn't directly give her the cold shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry, I wasn't questioning you, I just wanted to help Yamashita -kun."

Hashiba Hikaru keenly noticed her expression and said in a rather gentle tone, "Alright, one last question. After you answer it, let's go back."

"Yes, Classmate Hashiba, go ahead and ask." Yamashita Saki nodded.

"Actually, this question isn't complicated... but I hope Yamashita -kun can think about it carefully before answering."

Hashiba Hikaru pretended to be mysterious, staring intently into the other person's eyes as she said, word by word, "Actually, your class didn't give up on the exam, am I right?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Yamashita Saki's face turned deathly pale. She felt her heart suddenly start pounding wildly, and the fear of being exposed instantly overwhelmed her.

"Hume... Classmate Hashiba, what are you saying? Everyone in our class went back to the Cruise Ship. How could they not have given up on the exam?" She forced back her wavering and uttered a weak explanation.

"Don't be nervous, we're far from the camp now, and I won't let anyone kick you out."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled faintly, her tone very gentle.

"As for why I asked that, it's because I just met someone in the forest, and it was a classmate from your Class D."

"This... is it possible that Classmate Hashiba is mistaken? Everyone has gone back; no one should still be here." Yamashita Saki felt her heart pounding as she listened to the scrutinizing gaze.

"I shouldn't be mistaken, right? After all, I even chatted with her for a bit." The boy began to probe for the answer he wanted, his gaze fixed on Yamashita Saki's face, not missing a single change in her expression.

"Is... is that so?"

Unable to discern whether the other person was telling the truth or lying, Yamashita Saki could only try her best to remain calm.

"Yes, but that doesn't really help me determine the truth. After all, this student might be like Yamashita, staying on the island because of a conflict with the class."

"Well..."

Upon hearing this, Yamashita Saki Yamashita's first thought was that Manabe Shiho had been seen by Hashiba Hikaru. If it was her, perhaps the problem wasn't too serious, so she felt a little relieved and then spoke.

"Perhaps, after all, so many people have been bullied by Ryuen, I'm not sure if anyone is still on the island."

"Really? That's certainly possible."

Hashiba Hikaru stared into the girl's eyes and slowly uttered a sentence: "But is it possible that I encountered Ryuen?"

"..."

"Or perhaps it's Ibuki?"

"!"

When the name appeared again, Yamashita Saki's pupils contracted instantly, and her hands clenched involuntarily.

If it really was Ibuki was discovered by Hashiba Hikaru, then her situation as an undercover agent would be quite precarious.

She was well aware that the other party was the leader of her class, and any leak of information would be extremely fatal.

"Hehe."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly after noticing the fleeting look of fear on the other person's face.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding, Yamashita -kun."

"Huh?"

Upon hearing those words, Yamashita Saki felt her head had completely turned to mush; she had absolutely no idea what Hashiba Hikaru was thinking.

"Actually, it's because everyone doesn't quite trust you, so they sent me to test Yamashita out, afraid you might secretly find out our secrets."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled and explained, "After all, you're from another class, so it's normal for people to have doubts. But please rest assured, my questioning is over."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, you can stay in our camp without worry. Everyone will treat you as a temporary member of our class."

The boy nodded, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, did I scare Yamashita -kun a little?"

"No... no."