Thank You, but I'm Sorry

It is said that a boy used a knife to protect the girls in his class from bullying, resulting in one student being seriously injured, several others sustaining minor injuries, and the boy himself being seriously injured and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Why is it said to be "it is said"?

During the subsequent court proceedings, the girl who was being protected appeared to have lost her memory of that period due to the shocking facts. Her parents, in order to prevent their daughter from being dragged into this mess, chose to refuse to testify in court.

At the same time, the victims also claimed that the boy had violent tendencies and often fought with thugs outside the school, and that they were the ones being beaten.

Karuizawa Kei.

Sakayanagi Arisu hugged her knees, curling her body into a small ball.

While rationally it shouldn't be the case to place the blame on one person, however...

[Six people have already successfully registered:]

[Class 1-A: Sakayanagi Arisu]

[Class 1-B: Ichinose Honami]

[Class 1-C: Shiina Hiyori]

[Class 1-C, Grade 1: Ryuen Kakeru]

[Class 1-D: Karuizawa Kei]

[Class 1-D: Koenji Rokusuke]

Chapter 44: Thank you, but I'm sorry

It was 10:30 p. m. The frenzy of searching for the invitations had subsided. Perhaps one or two were still hidden in a corner and hadn't been found, but the students who had spent the entire afternoon searching the cabins had temporarily given up. Some went back to their rooms to sleep, while others went up to the deck to get some fresh air.

However, the former is still a minority. After all, most high school students, who are both tired and excited, are much more enthusiastic about the "Werewolf game" than any "VIP Exam." Moreover, since they are not participating themselves, they are more unrestrained in their communication, regardless of whether they know the other person or not. Anyway, this Werewolf game will not affect the Class Points, so they might as well chat about their opinions on this Werewolf game.

"I heard that more than half of the applicants have already signed up."

"Huh? There's still half left. It seems like we should have found almost all the invitations by now."

"What if someone finds it but doesn't intend to hand it in, planning to secretly participate in the competition?"

"That's incredibly audacious. After all, judging from the rumors we've heard, the contestants are all top-tier celebrities in their grade."

"Hey, in Werewolf plays a lot. You might just get carried by your teammates and win hundreds of millions of Private Points."

In short, amidst the lively crowd, many students shared their opinions on the game while unabashedly praising the contestants already revealed in their class.

"Did you hear? Classmate Sakayanagi from Class A also successfully participated in this Werewolf game."

"Sakayanagi Arisu? I remember she didn't come to the cruise ship to take the exam because of health reasons?"

"But this game isn't an exam. As long as it's fair, people can participate even at school."

A boy who looked like a student from Class A also raised his glass and shouted:

"Classmate Sakayanagi is no match for Katsuragi; Class A will definitely win this time."

"Come on, if Classmate Sakayanagi were really that amazing, Class A wouldn't have been divided into two factions before the Uninhabited Island Exam."

Another boy pouted and mocked:

"This Werewolf game tests logical reasoning and communication skills. In this respect, who in the grade can compare with Ichinose from our class?"

"Ichinose is just having fun. Don't forget who suggested this game. If the boss dares to play like this, he must have the confidence to win."

The boys in Class C were equally determined.

"Tch, it's obvious that the more students from a class participate in this exam, the greater their advantage. Class D had four invitations spotted this afternoon alone, giving them a natural advantage from the start."

"What's the use of having so many invitations? Can Class D even come up with four million points to participate?"

Even late at night, the enthusiasm of the crowd remained undiminished, and the entire deck was bustling with noise and activity.

"Ichinose, Kanzaki, may I bother you for a moment?"

Smiling as she watched the students bickering, Ichinose Honami heard someone call her name. Turning around, she saw Hirata Yosuke from Class D with a warm and cheerful smile on his face.

"Oh, it's Hirata. What brings you here so late?"

Ichinose Honami smoothed her wind-blown hair with her hand, pressing down a few playful strands.

"Hmm, I hope we can make a deal with Class B."

Hirata Yosuke stepped forward and pulled an invitation from his pocket:

"I wonder if the two from Class B are interested in this?"

"An invitation?"

Ichinose Honami nodded. Class B hadn't had much luck in their search for the invitations; they'd only found one so far, and the chosen participant was herself. But if more people participated, Class B's chances of getting points would be higher.

For example, Ichinose Honami felt that Kanzaki Ryuji, who was standing next to her, was capable enough to participate in this Werewolf game, but he lacked an invitation. Now that Class D had taken the initiative to ask for a trade, Ichinose Honami was quite tempted.

"Does Class D really not have enough points to participate?"

"It's a little embarrassing to say, but that's the truth."

Hirata Yosuke nodded with a wry smile:

"Although Koenji participated in the game at his own expense, Class D can only support two more people now, so this extra invitation is for Class B if they are interested..."

He considered it for a while:

"How about one million Private Points?"

In fact, Hirata Yosuke himself was quite uneasy about this number. Although it seemed like a small amount compared to 80 million, it was still a lot for Class D, which had been poor for an entire semester. Even if the whole class didn't eat or drink for two months, they still couldn't raise 1 million Private Points.

The reason for seeking to trade with Class B is because of Class B's consistently good reputation within the grade, and also because it is said that Class B receives a limited number of invitation functions, which may indicate a demand for them.

"Hmm, this isn't a lot of points, considering we still have a chance to compete for those 80 million."

Ichinose Honami readily nodded, took out her phone and started operating it. Soon, Hirata Yosuke's account received a transfer of one million Private Points.

"OK."

After confirming that everything was correct, Hirata Yosuke handed the invitation to Ichinose Honami.

Happy transaction.

Happy transaction.

[Class 1-B: Kanzaki Ryuji, registration successful.]

"Katsuragi... classmate, really, do we have to do this?"

Totsuka Yahiko swallowed hard again. The two of them were hiding in a corner of the cabin, and in front of them were two invitations as red as blood.

The two were quite lucky, finding an invitation in just one afternoon, and now, back in the quiet cabin at midnight, Totsuka Yahiko found a second one in a hidden compartment.

"I think even if we hand it over to Classmate Sakayanagi for allocation, she'll probably still let you, Katsuragi, participate."

Totsuka Yahiko was still a little nervous, mainly because Katsuragi Kohei had just stopped him from telling his classmates about discovering the second invitation.

That won't work.

Katsuragi Kohei's usually composed face was almost contorted in embarrassment. Ever since learning that Sakayanagi Arisu would be participating in the game remotely, the disorganized Class A seemed to have suddenly found its backbone, and the two of them had been completely isolated.

"Now, the only way for us to have a chance to be accepted back into Class A is by achieving results on our own."

Katsuragi Kohei pressed down on Totsuka Yahiko's shoulder. He knew that if he handed the two invitations to Sakayanagi Arisu for allocation, he might indeed be assigned one, but she could also very well give the invitation to her own students, such as Hashimoto Masayoshi and Kamuro Masumi.

Furthermore, even if Katsuragi Kohei did qualify for the game and actually won, the students in Class A would probably only think that Sakayanagi Arisu and allowing Katsuragi Kohei, the class's sinner, to atone for his sins.

Katsuragi Kohei was an honest man known for his steadiness.

But even an honest person can act rashly when pushed to the limit. Katsuragi Kohei stared intently at his only supporter, the younger brother in front of him:

"Play the game with me."

"And then, victory."

"But, Katsuragi, it seems like we don't have enough points between us."

Although Totsuka Yahiko was deeply moved, he still raised this more practical question.

"It's alright, I just contacted Ryuen Kakeru from Class C, and he agreed to lend us our competition points this time."

"Hey, that Ryuen, is it really that good? Maybe it's a trap set by Kitagawa. Katsuragi, you'd better be careful."

"No problem, I already inquired. Ryuen Kakeru from Class C and Kitagawa Ryo have always been at odds. I think he also intends to use this game to suppress Kitagawa's prestige, which is why he lent us points without hesitation."

"Yeah?"

Totsuka Yahiko nodded as well, and he also grasped Katsuragi Kohei's hand.

The two gazed at each other for over ten seconds, their eyes locked in a silent exchange of unwavering devotion, before finally Totsuka Yahiko made his decision:

"Alright! Let those short-sighted guys in Class A see that Katsuragi is the man who should lead Class A forward."

[Class 1-A: Katsuragi Kohei and Totsuka Yahiko, registration successful.]

"Well, I think it would be better if Hirata went instead?"

Kushida Kikyo placed her index finger against her lips, making a cute, thoughtful gesture:

"After all, their brains aren't really suited to this kind of complex game."

"It's really too difficult to deceive others."

At this point, Kushida Kikyo out her tongue sheepishly, after all, for the Tian of Class D, participating in this kind of lying game was too difficult.

The other students in Class D didn't object either. After all, the person involved didn't want to participate, and they couldn't force her. Several boys even turned around and comforted Kushida Kikyo.

"We've all seen how hard Kushida Kikyo worked this afternoon."

"No matter the outcome, Kushida Kikyo did her best."

While politely thanking her, Kushida Kikyo inwardly clicked her tongue in disdain:

[With a monster lineup like Class C, if they could outmaneuver Kitagawa Ryo in psychological warfare against Classes A, B, and D, they wouldn't have been so badly tricked in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam Kitagawa Ryo. ]

[The 80 million points figure is just a bluff; no one can win without it, they're just there to take the blame.]

Thinking of this, Kushida Kikyo's eyes darted around, and she asked the class with feigned concern:

"Don't you want to participate, Hirata?"

"I'd be more confident with other games, but I'm really bad at Werewolf."

Hirata Yosuke scratched the back of his head and smiled helplessly. After all, he had lost his best friend in junior high school and had almost given up all normal social interaction. He used violence to control all students and prevent the recurrence of school bullying. He really hadn't played a game like Werewolf, which has a strong social element, very many times.

"Yeah..."

Kushida Kikyo frowned worriedly, as if she had suddenly thought of something. She clapped her hands and suggested:

"How about letting Horikita participate instead?"

"Horikita?"

Hirata Yosuke was a boy who listened to advice. Unlike the other students in Class D, he didn't frown immediately but instead started to think about it seriously.

Karuizawa Kei has confirmed his participation, while he and Kushida Kikyo have both withdrawn. Koenji Rokusuke is participating at his own expense. After going through all these rounds, it seems that most of the more capable people in the class have been eliminated.

Where is Ayanokoji?

A figure flashed through his mind in an instant, Hirata Yosuke quickly asked.

"Ayanokoji has gone back to his room to sleep; he said he was too tired today."

One of the boys answered.

"By the way Hirata, why did you bring up Ayanokoji?"

"Just asking casually."

Hirata Yosuke sighed. He was certain that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was one of the hidden talents in Class D, but since the other party had chosen to return to his room at this time, it already showed that he did not want to participate, so Hirata Yosuke naturally could not force him to participate.

That seems to leave only Horikita Suzune.

Especially considering that she had spent an entire afternoon helping him find an invitation even though he wasn't fully recovered, everyone was at least less hostile towards Horikita Suzune than they had been right after the Uninhabited Island Exam.

"Actually, I think Horikita is capable enough to participate in this game."