The Hidden Players' Moves

Kitagawa Ryo sighed, his tone so sincere that the group from Class D even forgot their original purpose and nodded in agreement.

"If you ask me, we should buy some common medicines. It wouldn't be worth it if we had to withdraw from the exam because of a minor illness like a cold, fever, or diarrhea."

"What Kitagawa said makes sense."

Hirata Yosuke nodded in agreement.

"I'll go back and exchange these with Teacher Chabashira Sae; they're also listed in the booklet."

The group continued exchanging pleasantries for a while. During this time, Horikita Suzune seemed to want to offer her opinion, but Kitagawa Ryo always stopped her with a "patient shouldn't talk, just rest." As a result, by the time the four people from Class D left, they didn't seem to have gotten any useful information.

"Take care, everyone. Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to collaborate again in the future."

Kitagawa Ryo, with his legs crossed, saw him off.

Only after the group had left Class C's territory did Hirata Yosuke say from the bottom of his heart:

"Although Kitagawa from Class C doesn't have a good reputation, he doesn't seem that fierce today."

No, no, no, if you think about it carefully, the fact that Class D has become so bad is entirely this man's doing.

Horikita Suzune was speechless. She had originally intended to tough it out, but after Kitagawa Ryo pointed it out, she felt a little uneasy.

"Indeed, none of us had noticed Horikita yet, but Kitagawa-kun noticed him first."

Karuizawa Kei chimed in, saying that she was also incredibly tired, having finally managed to meet Kitagawa Ryo, only to have the conversation revolve around Horikita Suzune.

Horikita Suzune noticed Karuizawa Kei's somewhat strange gaze, but didn't pay much attention, assuming it was her blaming her for not explaining the situation first. She then spoke softly:

"I'm sorry for the trouble."

If Kitagawa Ryo were here, he might remark that Horikita Suzune had finally become more tactful after a semester of being reprimanded.

Do you think Kitagawa Ryo will be the Leader of Class C?

Okay, the next second Horikita Suzune reverted to her true self and asked the question without any politeness.

"Actually, this approach of using the class's original Leader as the Leader for this exam is too easy to predict."

Karuizawa Kei tapped her lips with her finger as she pondered.

"But if everyone holds this mindset and chooses the existing Leader to take over, that's also a reverse mindset."

Hirata Yosuke offered his opinion from the side.

Class D is currently led by Hirata Yosuke and Karuizawa Kei on the surface, but Kushida Kikyo and Horikita Suzune also have considerable abilities. Therefore, without any leaks, it's not easy to guess Leader of Class D is. However, Class C is different. It seems that only Kitagawa Ryo has been active since the beginning of the semester, and the number two, Ryuen Kakeru, just suffered a loss in the last operation he plotted against Class B.

Given that the class Leader is in the open, Class C's only options are to think outside the box and appoint Kitagawa Ryo as the Leader, or simply find an ordinary, inconspicuous student from the class.

"If we're not absolutely certain, we'd better not guess Leader is."

Seeing the troubled Karuizawa Kei and Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke finally smiled and said:

"All we need to do is keep our own Leader from being discovered."

"Yes, I will take good care of my identity as Leader."

Karuizawa Kei nodded, touching the key card engraved with her name in her pocket as she agreed.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who rarely participated in the conversation, silently observed Karuizawa Kei's retreating figure. He was certain that Karuizawa Kei had some connection with Class C, and under these circumstances, it was almost certain that the information about the Leader of Class D had been leaked.

However, if that's really the case, then Class D shouldn't be targeted by Class C in this Special Exam. After all, with only 87 Class Points, Class D can't pose any threat to Class C right now. If Karuizawa Kei and Kitagawa Ryo really have that kind of relationship, she might even be able to get some benefits from being supported, just like the previous Class B incident.

Recalling the conversation that Chabashira Sae had with him before the start of this Special Exam, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka managed to muster his spirits.

Let's see what Class C does next.

"Kitagawa-kun?"

Ichinose Honami finished dealing with the tent issue, she heard some noise from the campsite in front of Class B. When she looked up, she saw Kitagawa Ryo. He seemed to have come alone. Unlike the other Class B students who were wearing sportswear, his waterproof, lightweight jacket and swim trunks made him look more like a tourist passing by.

"Hello, long time no see, Honami."

"It seems like we just spoke on the ship yesterday."

"It was just a little joke."

Kitagawa Ryo walked up to Ichinose Honami. Although Ichinose Honami looked a little tired after a busy day, she was still quite energetic, and her smile remained unchanged. Under the leadership of such an inspiring Leader, Class B should be able to achieve quite good results in this Special Exam.

As soon as he moved, the remaining twenty-odd Class B students in the camp followed suit, as if they were afraid that Kitagawa Ryo Ichinose Honami. After all, the feud between Class B and Class C was quite significant, and in comparison, Ichinose Honami, as the class leader of Class B, showed the most goodwill towards Kitagawa Ryo.

"What brings you here? If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask."

Kanzaki Ryuji almost choked on his class president's words. Class C had been having fun outside all day and didn't seem to need any help at all.

Kitagawa Ryo reached out and casually brushed away the grass clippings and leaves stuck to Ichinose Honami's head, smiling as he spoke:

"I just want to make a deal with Class B."

"What transaction?"

Ichinose Honami warmly invited Kitagawa Ryo to sit down while listening patiently.

"I will provide you with Leader for Class A and Class D, but you will have to pay Class C 200,000 Private Points every month afterward. How about that?"

"Huh?"

Ichinose Honami blinked, seemingly unable to understand for a moment.

"If Class B is not comfortable with this, we can sign a performance-based agreement. If the list is wrong, Class C will pay Class B 200,000 Private Points every month?"

"Ah... that's not what I wanted to ask."

Ichinose Honami ignored the Class B students who had suddenly started discussing Kitagawa Ryo's words and seriously considered Kitagawa Ryo's situation:

"If Kitagawa-kun is right, then Class B can get an extra 100 Class Points, but 200,000 points per month should correspond to 50 Class Points."

Kanzaki Ryuji covered his face.

Why would Class C approach Class B to make this unequal deal?

"Because we need to take down Class A."

Kitagawa Ryo, already prepared, spoke up:

"Currently, the Class Points classes B and C are nearly four hundred points behind those of Class A. Only by working together can we narrow this gap."

"If only Class C guesses, Class A will only lose fifty points. But if Class B also guesses, Class A will lose one hundred points, while Classes B and C will each gain fifty Class Points. The two hundred thousand Private Points we requested are merely a reward for the Leader Class D."

"Yeah?"

Kitagawa Ryo's reasoning was quite convincing. Moreover, from any perspective, Class B was the one who would definitely gain. Just as Kitagawa Ryo had said, the combined efforts of the two classes were enough to narrow the gap with Class A to a very close number, which indeed tempted the students of Class B.

In fact, the cooperation between Classes B and C had a natural basis – to pull down Class A.

Under the system of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, neither Class B nor Class C is useful. If they cannot replace Class A, the fierce competition between Class B and Class C will only benefit Class A. Perhaps it was with this in mind that Kitagawa Ryo proposed cooperation to Class B.

Kanzaki Ryuji and Ichinose Honami believed they understood Kitagawa Ryo's logic. The other students in Class B also grasped the simple math problem and turned their expectant gazes to Ichinose Honami. The students in Class B were quite wealthy, after all, they had over 600 Class Points. Even if they spent 800,000 yen each month to pay Karuizawa Kei, they would still have a considerable number of points left. If they could exchange their Private Points for Class Points, it would definitely be profitable.

"Okay, Class B is willing to make the deal."

Ichinose Honami said earnestly:

"However, I still think Class B benefited from this deal, so if Kitagawa-kun encounters any difficulties in this exam, Class B will definitely help."

"Since Honami has put it that way, I'll definitely come and bother you."

Kitagawa Ryo responded with a genuine smile:

Happy transaction.

The white cat "Ying" was trembling in her little bed, peering out at the commotion outside.

"This must be Kitagawa Ryo's room in Class 1-C, right?"

The voice outside the door was that of a girl I had never heard before.

"He went to take Summer Special Exam."

Sakayanagi Arisu's voice remained as cool and aloof as ever.

"Yeah?"

The girl didn't seem to care at all about why there were other people in Kitagawa Ryo's room; her tone carried an infuriating indifference and nonchalance.

"Then tell him when he gets back."

"Nagumo is about to make his move."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Actions of the Hidden Ones

"A few days ago, a man contacted the school and said he wanted to expel this despicable student Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."

Chabashira-sensei casually smoked the girl's cigarette, but the atmosphere she exuded changed drastically with the words she spoke. She squinted her long, narrow eyes and sized up the boy in front of her.

"You want me to drop out? I don't know who that person is, but the school can't just let a student drop out without their consent, can it?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka maintained his impassive, poker face. While having a one-on-one conversation with a beautiful female homeroom teacher in an unmonitored counseling room would be an incredibly romantic experience for an average high school boy, the atmosphere surrounding the two was completely different.

"Of course. No matter what a third party says, we can't expel you. As long as you're a student at this school, you're protected by the rules. But... if you engage in problem behavior, that's a different story. Smoking, bullying, stealing, cheating. If you repeatedly cause scandals, you will definitely be expelled."

"I estimate that Chabashira Sae has revealed more information to Class D than this much throughout the entire semester, "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied.

"Unfortunately, I don't plan to do either of them."

"This has nothing to do with your will. I am the homeroom teacher of Class D, and you are a student in Class D. In other words, if I determine that this is the case, then everything will come true."

Chabashira Sae has already sent a dangerous signal to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in front of her.

Are you threatening me?

A homeroom teacher threatening students sounds like a joke.

"This is a deal, Ayanokoji. You set Class A as your target for me, and I will provide full support to protect you. Don't you think it's a win-win deal?"

Although we had learned over the past semester that Chabashira Sae was a strange homeroom teacher, she was only now truly revealing a glimpse of what lay beneath her mask:

"Either lead Class D to Class A, or you, Ayanokoji, get expelled."

Abandoning all formalities and negotiating tone, Chabashira Sae gave Ayanokoji Kiyotaka only one option, because she already knew that he would not choose to drop out of school.

If you truly have such a strong obsession with getting your child promoted to Class A, then why can't you actively help your students like the homeroom teachers of other classes?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't voice his question. By the time he came to his senses, he was already clutching Chabashira Sae's collar. Even so, Chabashira Sae remained fearless until Ayanokoji Kiyotaka let go.

"You'll regret using me."

"Don't worry, my life so far has been nothing but regret."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was awakened by the heat. The memories from his dream seemed to still have some traces left in his mind. He shook his head to put the troublesome matter out of his mind and propped himself up to sit up.

It was earlier than he expected. The tent was filled with boys sleeping haphazardly. Since everyone had only casually wiped themselves with river water the night before, the smell of sweat was quite noticeable. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was somewhat relieved that there didn't seem to be any students with smelly feet in the class. Otherwise, in this stuffy and enclosed tent, even more people would have been unable to sleep.

Without a pillow or cushion, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka felt a sharp pain in his lower back as he stood up. Trying not to wake anyone, he stepped out of the tent and checked the time on his watch.

5:43.

Today is the second day of the Uninhabited Island Survival Special Exam. Class D, led by Karuizawa Kei Hirata Yosuke, chose a decent campsite—a fairly wide flat area with a sizable lake nearby. Surprisingly, Karuizawa Kei hadn't usually demonstrated any knowledge in this area, seemed to know quite a bit about camping. Thanks to her guidance, the students in Class D had clear divisions of labor, and their actions, such as collecting food and setting up tents, were quite organized.

What displeased the students in Class D was that Karuizawa Kei seemed to be trying to save a lot of Special Exam Points for this exam. Yesterday, she only used her points to redeem two meal sets, basic medicine, a temporary toilet, and a small tent. She refused to agree to the shower room that the girls had unanimously requested. The boys, on the other hand, didn't care much and just wanted to find a waterfall or river to rinse off. The discussion was only brought to an end by a sudden piece of bad news after a long back and forth between the two sides.

Koenji Rokusuke returned directly to the ship and withdrew from this Special Exam, resulting in Class D having thirty points deducted from their Special Exam Points.

Both sides finally found a common target to attack. Karuizawa Kei also took the opportunity to suggest waiting a day and seeing how things went. If there was really no other way, it wouldn't be too late to exchange for a shower room. After all, Class D was already 30 points behind, so it would be best to save some money.

Thus, with the help of Koenji Rokusuke, Karuizawa Kei managed to suppress Class D's idea of exchanging shower rooms on the first day.

[That's strange]

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka pondered Karuizawa Kei's unusual behavior. While to outsiders it might seem like Karuizawa Kei was simply trying to save her Special Exam Points by making everyone more patient, from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's perspective, Karuizawa Kei was practically a member of Class C. Her every move should be related to Class C's plans. Could it be that Class C wanted to use the shower incident to stir up conflict between the men and women within Class D?

However, this approach is not beneficial. On one hand, suppressing Class D is not very advantageous for Class C, since the difference between the two classes has already reached 600 points. Even if Class C doesn't score a single point in this exam, and Class D retains one or two hundred points, it will only narrow the gap slightly and pose no real threat. On the other hand, this will also affect Karuizawa Kei's prestige. If Class C wanted to use Karuizawa Kei to control Class D, they should have supported her.

"Good morning, Ayanokoji. Are you up so early to go to the bathroom?"

Hirata Yosuke emerged from another tent. Despite having taken on the heaviest workload yesterday, including carrying the tents single-handedly, he didn't seem to have any complaints. Even when facing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was practically invisible in the class, he still greeted him with a smile.

"Yes, did I wake you up?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka followed up with a question.

"No, it's just too hard, and my lower back hurts a bit."