You Use Handprints Too?

No sooner had Hashimoto Masayoshi finished asking his question than Miyake Akito quickly followed up:

"I saw in the announcement that the first two people attacked were two second-year students. The wild boars should be in the forest, right? Why are these two not participating in the field training and instead running into the forest?"

"I don't know either. Anyway, I happened to be nearby at the time, and I rushed over after hearing their screams."

Kitagawa Ryo simply shook his head at this. When explaining the situation to the school in the afternoon, he also did not directly expose that Mizowaki and Tonokawa were discussing how to deal with him. Mizowaki and Tonokawa themselves would not be so frank either, only saying that they went to the forest because they wanted to go to the toilet.

"Something seems suspicious... I remember those two were students in Class 2-A, right?"

Seeing that Miyake Akito was still thinking of him at this moment, Kitagawa Ryo smiled with some relief:

"The school will investigate this matter themselves, but it was indeed quite a close call. Luckily, the school arrived quickly; any later and I might not have been able to handle the situation."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had already nimbly climbed into Kitagawa Ryo's upper bunk, merely glanced at him without batting an eye upon hearing this. Clearly, he didn't believe the other's statement at all. After all, even he, who came from the White Room, should be able to take down a wild boar without injury in terms of strength and skill, let alone Kitagawa Ryo, who was slightly stronger than him.

However, most of the other students nodded in agreement. Although Japan high school students are often compared to China time travelers and United States homeless people, for them living in reality, the idea of a high school student fighting a wild boar with his bare hands was still too much like science fiction. Therefore, the scene they imagined was that Kitagawa Ryo would actively attract the wild boar's attention and then use his speed advantage to circle around it until the school staff arrived and intervened. After all, Kitagawa Ryo's speed and stamina had already been recognized by the entire school at last year's Sports Festival.

"The school is really something. They know there are wild boars around here, yet they still carelessly send us out for field training. Speechless."

"So they changed the rules at the last minute after something happened? I see the guys in the next dorm with girlfriends are ecstatic, since it means they get a few extra hours to see each other every day."

"Oh, do you have a girlfriend?"

"... Think about it from another angle, the number of girlfriends in the next dorm combined definitely doesn't equal the number in our dorm."

"You also combined for 81 points with Kobe Bryant, right?"

Boys' thoughts are always incredibly unconventional, and before long the topic had veered off course. However, after chatting for a short while, they each grabbed their changes of clothes and prepared to go to the public bathhouse. Although it was indeed winter, they were all covered in sweat after their daily classes, and they felt uncomfortable if they didn't wash themselves clean.

Kitagawa Ryo had already taken the time to enjoy the large public bathhouse all to himself during his afternoon classes. However, since he had been lying in his dormitory bed for quite some time, he also planned to go out for a walk to get some fresh air.

As their Third Group was strolling leisurely toward the large public bathhouse, they happened to run into the students of the second-year Third Group. However, considering that they were all living together in the same large group, it was not surprising that they met on the way. However, the leaders, Mizowaki and Tonokawa, seemed a bit listless. After seeing Kitagawa Ryo, they stared at him for a while with complicated expressions, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

Of course, they had considered that Kitagawa Ryo had overheard their conversation, since the timing of his appearance was too coincidental, and it was very likely that he had gone with them. But no matter what, it was ultimately Kitagawa Ryo who saved him and Tonokawa from the wild boar's clutches, or rather, from its jaws.

To be fair, if their positions were reversed, none of them would have had the courage or ability to lend a helping hand to Kitagawa Ryo. Yet Kitagawa Ryo still chose to rescue him. To put it bluntly, even the act of saving his life wouldn't be an exaggeration.

So, after exchanging a glance, Mizowaki still chose to ask Kitagawa Ryo to stay and sincerely request that they speak privately. The other students around assumed that the two of them wanted to thank him again separately, so they didn't pay much attention and went to the bathhouse or back to their dormitories.

"Terribly sorry."

"I'm so sorry."

As soon as the other unrelated people left, Kitagawa Ryo received two standard 90-degree bows and two "red bean paste private horse race"s. Before he could even speak, Mizowaki and Tonokawa had already spilled everything that Miyabi Nagumo had told them, even producing the laxatives that she had asked them to sneak in by putting them in the changing clothes compartment beforehand as evidence.

Kitagawa Ryo didn't even doubt that at this moment, even if he asked these two seniors to publicly accuse Miyabi Nagumo, they would definitely do it. However, the school would certainly not judge Miyabi Nagumo for violating the rules based on these verbal evidences. It was even possible that he would be falsely accused by the other party of coercing Mizowaki and Tonokawa to give false testimony and spread rumors.

In fact, from what Mizowaki and Tonokawa had said, Kitagawa Ryo knew that Miyabi Nagumo no longer cared about reputation or public opinion. He was now immersed in a fanatical sentiment of "since the sun is setting and the road is long gone, it's better to go against the tide." Resigning as Student Council President and even dropping out of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School were no longer things that Nagumo Masaru feared. Rather, they had become chips that Miyabi Nagumo could put on the gambling table.

Having realized this, Kitagawa Ryo abandoned his idea of having Mizowaki and Tonokawa accuse Miyabi Nagumo. However, the two seemed determined to switch sides and join his camp. As Miyabi Nagumo's closest confidants, they knew all too well how suspicious Nagumo was. Kiriyama and Asahina Nazuna, who disagreed with him, had already been discarded like trash. Now that Kitagawa Ryo had rescued them and gotten involved with them, he would never trust them again.

After kindly persuading the two second-year students to leave, Kitagawa Ryo stood there, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

Unbeknownst to him, Nagumo's childhood friend, his right-hand man, and even the spy he had deliberately placed within the second-year students all seemed to have left him. Although he himself had never actively pushed for any of these things, Fate is sometimes so mysterious.

But in the end, it was actually Miyabi Nagumo herself who drove them away.

In fact, Kitagawa Ryo already knew what Tsukishiro had done to the Student Council President. At the end of this winter break, he had been summoned to the office by the Acting Chairman. The chairman had also noticed that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had used his connections to contact and recruit Miyabi Nagumo. Out of consideration for balance, he felt obligated to inform Kitagawa Ryo about this, since in terms of background, his identity was actually more useful than Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's.

However, Kitagawa Ryo truly had no intention of recruiting Nagumo from beginning to end; otherwise, he wouldn't have let Amasawa Ichika go and mess with him first. It was only after confirming that he had no objection to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's actions that Tsukishiro stopped interfering and continued to observe the match.

Around 1 a. m. again, Kitagawa Ryo opened his eyes in the darkness once more. Earlier that evening, Horikita Suzune had asked Hirata Yosuke to pass on a message to him, asking him to go to a certain place at 1 a. m.

Throughout the entire Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, very few people knew about his secret relationship with Hirata Yosuke. Even among the large group of girls around Kitagawa Ryo, only a handful knew that Hirata Yosuke was the spy he had planted in Class A from the very beginning, and Horikita Suzune was one of them.

It must be said that Hirata Yosuke, having avoided the psychological trauma of the original timeline, is indeed a perfect student in Class A. In particular, his completely and almost naturally kind-hearted personality meant that Class A never suspected him during several major investigations. Furthermore, after Kitagawa Ryo acquired two new spy cards, Kushida Kikyo and Chabashira Sae, he directly severed contact with Hirata Yosuke to further protect him. Therefore, even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, at present, did not notice anything amiss between the two of them and even planned to have Hirata Yosuke replace Katsuragi Kohei as the current apparent male Leader of Class C.

Trying not to make a sound, I got out of bed and habitually glanced at the upper bunk. Ayanokoji was quite well-behaved tonight and didn't go out. Of course, it's also possible that she went out early and came back early or waited until late at night to make her move. Hashimoto Masayoshi was the same. The fact that the two of them were so in sync that Kitagawa Ryo even wondered if they were each other's nighttime meeting partners.

Still without a flashlight, Kitagawa Ryo pretended to go to the bathroom and put on some clothes before leaving the dormitory, ready to launch an emergency night raid on the girls' Girls' Dormitory.

Unfortunately, the boys and girls were separated in almost every area except the cafeteria during this Special Exam, and the same was true for the dormitories. However, Rinne, unusually, spoke up, and Suzune Kitagawa Ryo had no choice but to accompany her despite the risks.

As he was rushing along the path towards the Girls' Dormitory, he suddenly noticed a faint flashlight beam flickering in a corner. At first, Kitagawa Ryo thought someone had left the flashlight there, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was some kind of Morse code.

Because of his golden talent, 'Erudite and Retentive', Kitagawa Ryo quickly deciphered the meaning of these signals:

"Tomorrow - Action."

After repeatedly sending this message in a certain direction several times, the flashlight beam quietly went out. However, the other party seemed quite cautious. Kitagawa Ryo stared intently for a while but did not see anyone else. Unwilling to break his promise to Suzune, he had no choice but to give up for the time being and continue towards his destination.

After his first experience climbing over a wall, Kitagawa Ryo finally sneaked into the Girls' Dormitory like a thief. Fortunately, although the boys' and Girls' Dormitory were in different locations, their layout and style were the same, which made it easy for him to find the corresponding spot quickly and successfully meet Horikita Suzune was waiting there... well, meet up.

"So why are there so many people?"

Looking at Sakayanagi Arisu standing side by side with Horikita Suzune, Amasawa Ichika Sakayanagi Arisu peeking from behind a rockery, and Shiina Hiyori who seemed to have genuinely gotten up in the middle of the night and happened to see him climbing over the wall, Kitagawa Ryo Shiina Hiyori again twitched his lips and muttered a sarcastic remark, suddenly feeling a strong urge to climb over the wall and run back.


Chapter 409: You can also leave handprints? (5k5)

As it turned out, Horikita Suzune's actions did not escape the notice of anyone else, at least not Matsushita Chiaki, who was instructed by Sakayanagi Arisu to keep a close eye on her every move, or Matsushita Chiaki Amasawa Ichika, who was extremely sensitive and insightful about everything related to Kitagawa Ryo.

Therefore, the current situation naturally follows. As for Shiina Hiyori, it can only be said that Fate is sometimes so coincidental. A group of people who used the excuse of getting up at night to sneak out of the dormitory ended up running into the real thing. It makes one sigh that the saying "wherever a detective goes, incidents will occur" seems to apply to detective novel fans as well.

Of course, that's the point, but the difference in scale between two people and five people is quite significant. The former could be considered a private meeting, while the latter is almost the size of a large party.

That's why Shiina, who usually passes by, can only return to her room for the time being. After all, Sakayanagi Arisu had said that they were going to talk about some things related to this Special Exam, and had cleared part of the area under the pretext that it couldn't be known by outsiders. As a result, Shiina Hiyori herself, halfway there in a daze, suddenly remembered that the two of them were no longer students in the same class, and belatedly stopped to observe the situation again.

Compared to Shiina Hiyori, who looked like she hadn't woken up yet and was even a little clumsy at hide-and-seek, Amasawa Ichika didn't embarrass the White Room either. Apart from Kitagawa Ryo, who had Eagle Eye Vision, even Horikita Suzune and Sakayanagi Arisu didn't notice that she had been hiding nearby. After Shiina Hiyori left, she began her discussion with Kitagawa Ryo.

"... I was the one who called Ryo over, wasn't I? Hiyori is one thing, but why Arisu here too?"

As the most frustrated person present, Horikita Suzune first glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu, who was still standing there and showed no intention of leaving, her tone revealing a hint of dissatisfaction.

"Because I have to ensure that the competition between Suzune and me is a fair fight. Now, suddenly wanting to meet with Ryo alone in the middle of the night behind my back, you must want to confirm what you two were talking about, right?"

Sakayanagi Arisu had already prepared an explanation for this, and with a smile, she gave her answer, her chest remaining relatively flat despite her arms being crossed.

"Ryo said long ago that he wouldn't interfere in our matter. Even if Arisu doesn't trust me, doesn't he trust Ryo? Last time when Megumi and Honami faced off at the Sports Festival, didn't he also not take sides at all?"

It must be said that Horikita Suzune's eloquence has improved considerably. She quickly found the flaws in the other person's words and also managed to drag Kitagawa Ryo off the stage.

"Of course I don't doubt Ryo, but the criteria for 'not taking sides' is inherently ambiguous. For example, even if Suzune called Ryo over tonight without mentioning the Special Exam, and they just spent time together, being all lovey-dovey, and doing something out of the ordinary, I would still consider that cheating. After all, Suzune will definitely be in a better mood tomorrow, and a better mood means better physical condition, which naturally leads to better grades. Can you really say that doesn't count as cheating?"

"... Why do I sound like a power bank or a buff machine?"

Faced with Kitagawa Ryo's subconscious retort, Sakayanagi Arisu simply smiled and hugged Horikita Suzune tightly in front of him, burying her face in his chest for a while before lifting her head, her jewel-like purple eyes blinking playfully twice:

"Yes, I've been lacking a lot of cooling energy these past few days, I need to replenish it quickly."

"Hey, according to what Arisu just said, what you're doing now would be considered cheating, right?"

Although Horikita Suzune rarely participates in this particular "battleground" scenario, and diligently spent the entire day at the confectionery shop on the day of the Cultural Festival, she was still treated this way by her direct rival, Sakayanagi Arisu. Desperate, she immediately used her height advantage to forcibly separate the two.

"Sh--"

Because his hasty remark had been a bit too loud, Kitagawa Ryo quickly gestured to Horikita Suzune to be quiet. After all, if anyone else had seen him, he would have been guaranteed a disciplinary action for raiding the Girls' Dormitory at night. The whole school would then be able to witness him being issued two announcements by the school administration within two days, turning from a moral exemplar of heroism yesterday into a morally corrupt scoundrel today. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

"So, what exactly did Suzune call me here for tonight? If you feel it's inconvenient for Arisu to hear this, I'll ask her to avoid suspicion."

"... Never mind, it's not something that Arisu can't know, and besides, things have already gone too far to be shameful."

After biting her tongue slightly, Horikita Suzune mumbled her words before signaling the three to find another place to discuss the matter. So the group moved to a rockery. Kitagawa Ryo was initially worried that they might run into Amasawa Ichika, who was hiding there, but the other party also cleverly changed locations and ran ahead to the bushes where they had been before, continuing to observe, or rather, spy on, in the manner of Voldemort.

"I have to admit, I lost this time."

To Kitagawa Ryo's surprise, just after the three of them finished their transfer, Horikita Suzune cleanly and Sakayanagi Arisu.

Now that the Special Exam for the Mixed Training Camp is halfway through, Horikita Suzune finally realized the true intentions hidden in the bet. However, the reality was already irreparable. In the past four days, the girls in Class A had been thoroughly won over by Sakayanagi Arisu. All she could do now was win the bet with Sakayanagi Arisu and salvage her reputation on the surface.

After acknowledging her defeat without any hesitation, Horikita Suzune instantly regained her fighting spirit.

Perhaps it was because the nicknames Kitagawa Ryo jokingly gave them—the two completely unsociable number one and number two—were so deeply ingrained that for a long time, Horikita Suzune actually regarded Sakayanagi Arisu a student with the same personality as her. As a result, during this Special Exam for the Mixed Training Camp, this stereotype was shattered by the other party.

She didn't socialize before because there was absolutely no need for it. But when it came to the stage where she needed to gather popularity and garner votes, Sakayanagi Arisu, with her excellent upbringing and experience in various big events, could smoothly blend into the girls' circle, not to mention that she had Matsushita Chiaki as an assistant.

"Hmm... and then what? Suzune wouldn't have called Ryo over late at night just to tell him that she saw through my plan, would she? And then get some kind of comforting words like 'Suzune was great' or 'Try harder next time' from him?"

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu, who imitated his tone but sounded completely different and even a bit annoying, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but rub her head. He felt that Arisu's personality got really bad, then Amasawa Ichika would be out of the picture.

"No."

Although she was momentarily tempted by Sakayanagi Arisu's words, Horikita Suzune didn't show any weakness on her face, and simply retorted firmly before turning her gaze to Kitagawa Ryo:

"Asahina Nazuna asked me to pass on a message to Ryo."

"Asahina Nazuna? That Asahina Nazuna from Class 2-A?"

Upon hearing this, Sakayanagi Arisu frowned slightly. She never actively concealed her desire to control Kitagawa Ryo. In a sense, this could be considered a psychological syndrome after experiencing the last simulation. Amasawa Ichika and Yuki were equally uncompromising in this regard.

"Yes, it's her."

"I heard she Nagumo broke up, is that true?"

"Arisu, don't slander me like that. My acquaintance with Asahina-senpai was purely accidental. If Hotaru hadn't sneaked out and been seen by someone, I probably wouldn't have had any contact with Asahina Nazuna even after I became a second-year student."

"But isn't it a reality that the two of you get along well now? Could it be that Liang has suddenly fallen for the older sister type again?"

Having heard too many similar 'attacks' from girls these past two days, and recalling the magnanimous heart of Asahina Nazuna- senpai, which matched her gentle personality, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly glared at Kitagawa Ryo with a hint of dissatisfaction. After all, the idea that small breasts were a rare resource was just something to fool the guys; she would definitely mind it a little. After all, every night when she went to take a shower, she looked like an elementary school student who had accidentally wandered in, among all the First Year students at ANHS.

"That's not true. I've always thought Arisu cute... yes, very cute."

Perhaps feeling that using the phrase "small but cute" to describe a girl was a bit too much, Kitagawa Ryo swallowed it back. He tried to recapture the feeling he used to have when comforting Hotaru, and gently knelt down to stroke her cheek.

"... If we keep talking like this, it feels like we'll never finish before dawn. Can we be a little more serious?"

Unwilling to become just another part of their game Horikita Suzune forcefully squeezed into their world once again. It can only be said that her personality simply prevented her from acting like Sakayanagi Arisu, throwing tantrums and being spoiled without any boundaries in this situation. After all, even on Christmas Day, when Kitagawa Ryo essentially stood her up, she could only manage to say, "Don't do it again next time." No wonder Horikita Manabu, who was about to graduate, was still a little worried about his sister's romantic progress.

"Suzune, you can say what you want. Ryo and I are listening. Crouch down a bit so no one can see us."

However, Sakayanagi Arisu was in the middle of an exciting conversation, was clearly unwilling to give up. While pretending to nod to Horikita Suzune to continue the previous topic, she took advantage of the heavy night to pull open her down jacket a little, as if she wanted to prove to Kitagawa Ryo that although it was small, it was indeed heavy, and secretly slipped his hand inside.

Because everyone was supposed to go to bed normally before coming out, Sakayanagi Arisu was only wearing a thin nightgown under her coat. As soon as Kitagawa Ryo's left hand was put inside, he felt a strong warmth that contrasted sharply with the cold wind outside. Then he felt the softness that seemed to cling to every finger and a slight protrusion under his palm.

The description of 'pressing a handprint' suddenly flashed through Kitagawa Ryo's mind, but he immediately chuckled to himself, since it was less about pressing a handprint and more about him having already grasped the entire area that could be held in one hand.

As if in a prank, Kitagawa Ryo moved slightly and clearly felt Sakayanagi Arisu's breathing become more rapid beside him, accompanied by a very faint nasal sound like a soft hum.

Completely unaware, or rather, completely unexpected, of Sakayanagi Arisu in performing this act at such close range Horikita Suzune remained oblivious, continuing to deliver the message Asahina Nazuna had entrusted to her in a very serious manner:

"Liang should have seen that temporary notice by now. Starting tomorrow, all groups of male and female students will be conducting field training together."

"Yes, it seems the school was indeed frightened by the wild boar attack, but they were reluctant to cancel the road relay race, so they changed it to what it is now."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded. Having been Arisu by Arisu's audacious behavior, he began to take revenge, already quite skillfully using his fingertips to cut open the collar of Arisu's pajamas.

"According to Asahina Nazuna- senpai, Nagumo plans to use this opportunity to take action, or rather, to use the girls."

At this point, a hint of disgust flashed across Horikita Suzune's face.

"Nagumo's base among the second-year students has always been the girls. Therefore, they are more proactive in responding to his instructions than the boys, especially those who maintain ambiguous relationships with him. So for your own safety, tomorrow you must stay away from all the second-year and even third-year girls you see, no matter if they say they have heatstroke, are suddenly feeling unwell, or something else. Don't pay any attention to them."

"Besides that, Ryo should also be careful not to be alone with any second-year girls at any time or place. According to Asahina Nazuna, they are not afraid to sacrifice their reputations and engage in a one-for-one self-destruction with Ryo."

"... It sounds like some kind of fanatic fan."

"Actually, if Ryo were willing to be like that student council president Nagumo, Central Air Conditioner for all the girls in the grade, he could achieve the same results in a year or two. Rather than being a fan, he's more like someone with a love-struck mind. Once his emotions take hold, he doesn't consider the consequences at all."

After saying all this, Horikita Suzune also let out a long sigh of relief:

"Alright, I've said everything Asahina Nazuna asked me to say. Ryo, you should go back to sleep now. I remember you have to get up early every day to make breakfast. How about you take a good rest after this Special Exam? Anyway, I'm in charge of Ryo's lunch now, so I can take care of breakfast too."

"Hmm... we'll talk about it later. Thanks for the reminder, Suzune. Could you please convey my feelings to my senior for me? I'll head back now."

Without making a sound, Kitagawa Ryo withdrew his hand again. Looking at Sakayanagi Arisu, who had pulled her coat back up and covered herself up completely, her cheeks, neck, and earlobes all flushed red like a slightly tipsy Sakayanagi Arisu, Kitagawa Ryo couldn't help but chuckle. He was once again certain that even after growing up, Arisu was still a high-attack, low-imitation glass cannon.

And so, after saying goodbye to Horikita Suzune, who was satisfied with delivering the message, and Sakayanagi Arisu Sakayanagi Arisu pajamas, Kitagawa Ryo found Shiina Hiyori, who had been waiting for them to finish their 'class business'.

Because the wait was a bit long, the other person had already gone back to their dorm to get dressed before coming out again. It wasn't that they cared about any strange sense of ceremony, but rather that it was indeed a bit cold on winter nights, especially in the mountains. If they were just wearing pajamas, it wouldn't be a problem to simply get up in the middle of the night, but if they wanted to chat, they would need to change into a thick down jacket and cotton pants, otherwise they would catch a cold the next day.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was about to ask Shiina Hiyori about the difficulties she encountered in this Special Exam, the other woman naturally took his hand and then subconsciously remarked:

"Cool hands, but very warm."

Completely embarrassed to admit that this was something that had just been warmed by the warmth of Alice's heart Kitagawa Ryo could only vaguely brush off the topic. While holding Shiina Hiyori's somewhat cold hand in his own, he proactively asked with concern:

"Hiyori must be having a tough time lately, especially with long-distance running lessons that she's not good at."

"Well, everyone in the group takes good care of me, so I can manage to keep going."

At this point, Shiina Hiyori unconsciously thought of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam and the Sports Festival in the past. Both of those exams were tests of students' physical fitness, but she passed them smoothly each time thanks to the help of others. Perhaps it was because of this that she had never really made up her mind to make a change.

Even in this Mixed Training Camp Special Exam, she continued to excel in all subjects except long-distance running, as before. She could have remained in her comfort zone and comforted herself with the so-called "playing to her strengths and avoiding her weaknesses" rhetoric.

Even counting from that declaration of "I'll take care of myself" before the Sports Festival Cultural Festival, she has already lived a comfortable or carefree life for almost half a year.